


Type of Romance

by xNekorux



Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Sexual Content, Tsundere Viper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 37,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26463217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNekorux/pseuds/xNekorux
Summary: Everyone has their own way of handling relationships and commitment in general. It's time for Killjoy to find out how Viper handles hers.
Relationships: Jett/Sage (VALORANT), Killjoy/Viper (VALORANT), Reyna/Sage (VALORANT), Reyna/Sage/Jett (VALORANT)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@xSNOW_WEISSx](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40xSNOW_WEISSx).



**Type of Romance** _(Viper x Killjoy)_

Sun shining warmly and bright, the sky showed not a single cloud in sight. The day was perfect for any possible outdoor activity. Even those who were at VALORANT headquarters were either relaxing out on the grass or a bench, or were just doing what they usually do while they enjoyed the pleasant weather.

At the outdoor training area exclusive for the special agents, several of the latter could be found tinkering and training with their equipment.

The whooshing sound of air could be heard as Jett dashed over a stack of crates and weaved through swinging barrels with absolute confidence and ease. Watching from the sidelines, Sage and Raze could be found either clapping or cheering the fleet-footed duelist.

It was no secret to anyone that Jett had become an attention-seeker more than before ever since Reyna joined their ranks due to the healer they all know and love.

The aforementioned vixen, Reyna, didn’t hide how she usually flirted with their fellow agents, most especially Sage. Everyone already came to a conclusion that she was just a natural flirt and would tease whichever agent that captures her eyes for the day. But, they’re all agents for a reason and their observation skills were one of those.

Everyone was more than fully aware that Reyna took a much bigger interest in Sage compared to others. The only one oblivious of it was the healer herself. Heck, Sage was also clueless about Jett’s advances on her.

Sage had caught Jett’s eye ever since they were introduced to one another and was put together for a mission. Ever since that operation, Jett had been trying her hardest to impress and capture Sage’s own interest. Unfortunately for her, Reyna was putting up more than just a little competition.

That, and Raze was always there to egg them both on whenever they had their spats.

“One day, that girl’s surely going to get a bone broken or two.” Cypher said with a little chuckle, his gaze flicking from the camera he was fixing to the agent leaning against the tree behind him. It was Omen, and he was jadedly watching the spectacle Jett was making of herself.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.”

“Well, well, well, you actually said something.” Cypher commented, seemingly surprised that Omen had provided a reply. He and him may always idle at the same location, but rarely did Omen actually give any form of response other than a grunt.

Instead of acknowledging what Cypher had said, Omen merely rolled his eyes and muttered, “Same tricks, same moves, absolutely no thrill. If she truly aims to capture Sage’s attention, she should choose an approach that’s less conceited yet protrusive.”

“Oh?” Now Cypher’s attention was truly captured by his company. He laid his camera down and looked over his shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at his fellow agent. “I didn’t know you are an expert in the romance department, Omen. This is certainly news.”

Omen grunted, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes again. “I’m not.”

“That’s not what the other soldiers say.” A deep and gruff voice piped in, prompting the two to turn and face the newly-arrived speaker. They both found Brimstone walking towards them, a knowing look on his face.

“Ah, Brimstone, my friend. Always a pleasure to see you.” Cypher greeted with a small smile and nod. “And pardon me, but what _do_ the others say?”

“Rumour has it, Omen here is actually the reason why the new kid’s close to our snake lady.”

Cypher’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, an amused look on his face. “ _Those_ rumours? I thought those were absolutely fabricated.”

Brimstone shook his head. “Nope. I heard Viper was always acting pressed when the new recruit got interested in her tech. The kid poked around and it pissed her off. But, turns out, she might actually have a little something for the kid. She tolerates her more than she has tolerated Jett and Phoenix. The soldiers I got talking with told me they overheard Omen here outright encouraging Viper to what she needs to do.”

“Eh, Brimstone, don’t you think Omen actually meant something else? He might be referring to the process of removing the new recruit from her trail.”

“Bah! I believe what the soldiers say and what they say is that Omen is a good wingman.”

While Cypher couldn’t do anything but laugh, Omen merely sighed in exasperation, thinking he was now in no way going to be able to relax with Brimstone giving Cypher a bunch of _‘preposterous’_ ideas. Glaring at the two of them, he eventually settled in teleporting himself away and to a place in headquarters no one would bother him.

Upon Omen’s retreat, Cypher sighed lightheartedly and shook his head while Brimstone let out a rumbling laugh of his own. He eventually decided to join Sova and Breach at the shooting range, calling out to the two as he approached.

As Cypher watched his old friend walk off, he remembered the two agents they were discussing. Speaking of Viper and Killjoy, where were they?

…..

…..

…..

Meanwhile in a lab within the premises of the headquarters...

At one side of the wide and spotless room, there were various types of snakes, each and every one of them varying in sizes. They were all well-fed though thanks to the raven-haired agent walking around the room, a tray of vials filled with poison in hand.

Even the warm, sunny weather was not enough to convince Viper in taking a break from her work. Last time she relaxed, well… She couldn’t really remember the last time she had stopped and just let herself loose after anything.

But, what she _could_ remember was the last time she was so vexed that Sova had to step in and stop her from just dropping her poison orb in the aircraft and just fill it with the deadly gas she always carries around when on missions. She was the pilot anyway, so there was probably no harm in decreasing the numbers in the aircraft.

Why did she want to do that, you wonder?

Oh, it was because of their new agent.

 _Killjoy_. The latter’s recruitment wasn’t much of a bother at first, but when she got a peek of Viper’s lab during the time she was being toured by Sage throughout HQ, she has been acting like a tail to the woman.

Ironically, Viper saw her codename fitting for her, because she surely kills the joy within her whenever she comes in and interrupts the peace and quiet. She once thought that Phoenix was the loudest one among them, but Killjoy seemed to be giving the duelist a run for that title.

The poison-lover chose to distance herself from the tech-whiz. Viper didn’t even call her by her codename unless they’re out on a mission with the others. Instead of such, she resorted to calling her _‘schnecke’_. It’s German for snail.

Why schnecke? Maybe because no matter how much she expressed her distaste towards the tech expert’s presence and approaches, the latter still would not let up. It was either she was slow, normally clingy or both.

“You’re a neat-freak, aren’t ya?”

Viper’s fingers twitched more evidently than usual once she heard that familiar voice pour through the intercom speaker connected to the door lock of her lab. She knew that voice anywhere. How could she not? The owner of it was always there to bug her.

Placing the vials down, Viper stopped herself from sighing out loud. She turned away from where the glass lab door was, which was at the side of the room where it offered a window to look out to the hallway. Even though she hadn’t looked directly, she had spied the bright yellow jacket through her peripherals and of course the green beanie.

“Aww, seriously? Ignoring me? Now that’s just rude.”

Viper continued to disregard her, proceeding with whatever she was concocting and remaining with her back turned to where Killjoy was at. The said agent was literally outside her lab, one finger pressing the mic button of her intercom as she spoke.

“Well, this isn’t exactly a bad view anyway. As respectfully as it can be, I just want to say how _lovely_ your _hintern_ looks in that lab coat of yours.” _(hintern - butt)_

Viper stilled for a second, eyes lightly twitching.

“You should walk around with that coat on more often.”

_‘Calm yourself, Sabine. She’ll leave if you ignore her.’_

“Sooo, whatcha working at? More poison? Good, good.”

_‘She’ll leave, just ignore her.’_

“I say, your lab is pretty organized to the very tip. Reminds me of how I maintain mine.”

_‘Just. Ignore. Her. Focus on your work. Not her.’_

“Even if it’s a single gyro out of place, I lock people out of my lab. No questions or excuses.”

A little remark popped in Viper’s head, but she was still able to stop herself from responding. Unfortunately, she was only able to stare at her work and her hands were just hovering above them, fingers twitching every now and then. It seems like she just couldn’t focus.

“Sabine?”

Now _that_ was enough. Viper immensely hated it whenever someone used her real name, especially when she’s in headquarters.

**_Hiss!_ **

The quiet yet rather ironic sound of hissing filled the room as Viper withdrew a remote from her lab coat and pressed one of the buttons, which was responsible for the door of her lab sliding open. Even Killjoy didn’t expect it, but nonetheless, she took the opportunity and swiftly stepped into the room.

But before she could take a complete scan of the room with her eyes, a pair of hands abruptly grabbed the front of her jacket and pushed her against one of the counters at the side. Killjoy gave a small grunt of pain when her back roughly collided with the edge of the counter, one hand grasping the corner of it as she steadied her gaze to the person tightly clutching her jacket.

Viper glared menacingly at her, and she knew that if those looks could kill, she’d probably be dead by now.

“Uh, hi.” Killjoy greeted with a smile, completely unaffected with the fact that Viper looked ready to poison her right then and there. “Your eyes are apparently more beautiful up close. Wow… They’re like emeralds, aren’t they?”

Incredulity flashed in Viper’s eyes as she raised an eyebrow at what the other was saying. Was it her or was Killjoy getting crazier and crazier by the day? She could’ve sworn their superiors had briefed them about Killjoy being a _genius_.

“If you have nothing to do but mock me, I suggest you go and join the others outside before I test my new poison on you.”

“Mocking? No, no, nothing of that sort!”

Viper scoffed, releasing Killjoy but not at all giving her the personal space she had invaded when she took half a step back. “I will not hear out any of your excuses.”

“No, really, I’m not mocking you.” Killjoy said, trying to clear out the accusation. “I’ve been _trying_ to get your attention.”

“By complimenting my posterior?”

“Respectfully. I said it _respectfully_.”

“And you’re proud of it. _Ugh_.”

“It succeeded in getting your attention though.”

Viper sighed exasperatedly, sharply eyeing the rather cheeky agent. “What is that you really want, _schnecke_?”

Instead of being able to conjure up a quick-witted reply, Killjoy’s eyes widened visibly at the nickname. Though she knew it was likely supposed to be an insulting pet name, she didn’t think Viper would actually refer to her with a not-so-common endearment in _her_ language.

“What did you call me?” Killjoy suddenly resembled Raze when she got her rocket launcher upgraded. She inched forward, prompting Viper to back away in return. “Did you just call me _schnecke_? A snail?”

Viper once again quirked an eyebrow at her, now looking a bit mystified at the reaction she was getting just from a simple nickname. “Why are you acting so flattered? It’s meant to be an insult.”

“Oh, I know that’s your intention. But,” Killjoy further approached Viper, who seemed to have no choice but to either step back even more or place a hand against the other agent’s chest just to stop her from proceeding with her steps. “didn’t you know, _‘schnecke’_ is considered an endearment from where I’m from?”

Any other person would probably blush in embarrassment at that, but Viper? No, she merely stared coldly at Killjoy, unfazed with the point that was made.

“It’s an insult. Nothing more, nothing less, so don’t you dare put words in my mouth.”

“I’m not trying to. I’m just saying.” Undeterred, Killjoy then continued with, “Can I ask why you always coop yourself up in this lab of yours? I mean, I myself prefer working on my bots, but I still get my daily dose of sunlight. Look at you! You’re so pale.”

Viper slapped the finger that nearly poked her cheek. She shook her head and turned away, walking back to her station. “I did not let you in here to judge my complexion.”

“Then why _did_ you let me in here? Surely, it’s not to have tea since every liquid here in this room is probably poisonous.”

“Because I knew you would have highly likely hacked the security of my lab if I didn’t grant you entry.” Viper looked over her shoulder and glanced at the glowing advance wristwatch Killjoy has around her left wrist. “And I know for certain you don’t just carry that _thing_ for display.”

A sheepish smile made its way to Killjoy’s lips, tucking her left wrist behind her in a vain attempt to conceal the already noticed equipment of hers. “I wouldn’t do that now, would I?”

“You snuck in Sova’s lab just to get a prototype of his ocular prosthesis last week.”

“I wanted to see what was recorded in it. That was different.”

“Of course it is.”

“I would never do that to your lab.”

“You don’t have enough evidence to support that.” Viper said with a dismissive wave of a hand. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I have work to do. See yourself out if you’ve finally taken the hint.”

Though their talk wasn’t exactly the smoothest conversation, Killjoy didn’t give up easily. Viper wasn’t acknowledging the real reason why she was there. Either that, or she just wasn’t noticing it. Clearing her throat, Killjoy walked up to Viper’s area, leaning her elbow on the free space at the side of the table.

Viper gave a displeased sigh, one hand resting atop the surface while her right tapped its fingers in impatience. She turned her head, giving Killjoy a narrowed look. “Clearly, that hint I mentioned went over your little head.”

“Okay, obviously, you’re not the type to be teased like this.”

“So now you admit you were mocking me.”

“ _Teasing_ , not mocking.” Killjoy clarified in a heartbeat. “And, alright, maybe it was an error on my part for approaching you like this.”

“It was an error on your part the moment you thought about approaching me initially.” Viper critically said. “I’m not here to make friends.”

“I’m not _here_ to make friends either.”

Viper scoffed. “Then, what’re you doing here, _schnecke_?”

When there was no immediate reply, Viper gave half a nod while she quirked her eyebrow at the tech expert. She wasn’t going to waste time, especially if she was going to acquire nothing but Killjoy’s stare. It was an irritating sight, yet she couldn’t explain why.

“Do you want to go out with me?”

Viper blinked back at her, disbelief fleeting across her face. “…What?”

“Go out with me.”

“…You are really testing my patience, aren’t you?”

“I’m being serious, Sabine.”

There it was again. Her name. She wanted to kick Killjoy out of her lab with poison coursing through her veins, yet the way the German said her name this time… It was different from how she had uttered it earlier.

“I am not in a joking mood.”

“And I’m not joking.” Killjoy said with as much earnest emotion she could express. “I like you, Sabine. I want to take you out on a date.”

“Let’s say I actually believe that you’re serious about this,” Viper started with a sarcastic tone. “why would you like to take _me_ out on a time-wasting date?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re really smart, even when it comes to technology, so it’d be a nice change of pace for me to talk to someone who won’t look at me as if I’m a total nerd.” Killjoy said, muttering the last part. “You’re also really good in the field and I find it very attractive with how you take control of a situation even if things don’t go to plan. And, last but definitely not the least, you’re a very beautiful lady, Sabine. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

If Viper wasn’t, well, Viper, she probably would have blushed and maybe swooned a little at how Killjoy revealed everything to what attracted her in the first place. Instead of the mentioned reactions, Viper scoffed again and shook her head.

“Your petty little feelings are misplaced, _schnecke_. Leave and take them elsewhere.”

“Why won’t you give it a chance at least?”

Viper shook her head again. “I don’t do _your_ type of romance. Thinking about it sickens me.”

“Wow.” Killjoy gave her own half-hearted scoff. “Then what _do_ you do? Tell me. I want to know.”

Sighing once again in frustration, Viper turned and walked towards Killjoy, who was somewhat caught off-guard by the sudden advance. The latter stilled visibly as Viper cornered her between herself and the table she was leaning on.

Killjoy withheld herself from sucking in a breath when Viper abruptly grasped her jaw. The mechanical gloves were immensely cool against her warm skin and she could only swallow quietly as Viper harmlessly yet firmly kept her from even thinking about looking away. Despite the blatant fact that Killjoy was so much taller than her, Viper still exuded a domineering aura that was enough to render the former speechless.

“ _This_ is what I prefer. I don’t have the patience in frolicking out on the streets or exchanging compliments with another individual.” Viper said with a steely tone, a sardonic smirk tugging on the corner of her lips. “ _This_ is my type of romance, _schnecke_. Clearly, it _contradicts_ with yours, so why don’t you turn away, leave and never show any more vulnerability to someone who can cut you down in a heartbeat, understood? Good.”

Viper released Killjoy and dusted herself, making a move to finally disregard the other agent entirely. She was now expecting the tech expert to make a hasty retreat, especially since she seemed to have gotten her words caught in her throat.

Much to her surprise, Killjoy merely fixed the possible wrinkles of her jacket before she turned to her and said, “Is that what you really want? _Just_ that?”

“You’ve read my file, haven’t you? I know for certain that you have.” Viper crossed her arms when she faced Killjoy again. “I do not have time for silly romance. If ever I will commit myself to someone, they should know I’m not fond of the cliché dates and meaningful conversations.”

Thinking she finally got her point across, Viper made her way to another station in her lab to take care of a different set of poisons she had set aside. It was quiet in the lab and not a single word left Killjoy. She assumed that if the young woman’s feelings for her were true, then she might have just broken her heart.

She didn’t really care. What mattered was that she had likely succeeded in finally removing her from her tai…-

Viper was massively thankful she had just set down an open vial before a hand abruptly grabbed her other wrist and spun her around, only for her to collide against the chest of the only person that’s with her in her lab.

Raising her head to glare and give Killjoy a much harsher piece of her mind, Viper’s words were muted by the pair of lips that were suddenly against hers. When she felt a tongue stroking at her own, it made her realize that Killjoy had caught her in the middle of forming her little lecture, which provided her unhindered access to her mouth.

Firmly grasping Killjoy’s shoulders, Viper was unable to push her back and end the kiss right then and there, for the other broke the kiss herself and retracted. Killjoy cupped her face in her hands, turning the tables between them. Judging from the look of shock on the poison-lover’s face, it was quite obvious she didn’t expect the rather impulsive move.

“This isn’t really what I had in mind, but there’s always Plan B. And if this is what you want, then I’m all for it if you are.” Killjoy said with a finalized look, head nodding affirmatively.

Many words could be used to express her rejection to what Killjoy wanted, but Viper found herself momentarily speechless. She blinked back at Killjoy in shock and disbelief, but she couldn’t find her vocabulary for a couple of seconds.

Killjoy’s hands were warm against her cheeks, which were apparently cooler than normal. The body heat was also reaching and affecting her in a way she couldn’t explain. The feeling was foreign, yet she didn’t find it unwelcomed.

“Are you insane?”

Killjoy shook her head, moving her hands until they were now resting on either side of Viper’s arms. “I’m serious. I want to at least try this with you, because I know that I’m going to regret it if I don’t give an attempt.”

“Didn’t you ever think that you’ll regret it because this relationship isn’t like the normal ones? If you expect it to be similar to what Sage could give, what Reyna could possibly give, or anyone else, you’re hugely mistaken.”

A lighthearted smile then appeared on her lips. “If I wanted them, then I probably should have gone to _them_. Not you.”

“You…-” Viper halted her own words. She stared back at Killjoy with a scrutinizing gaze, internally contemplating about the possibilities that were suddenly present for her to consider.

Instead of harshly pushing Killjoy back and demanding that she left now, Viper took a deep breath and carefully moved back, putting a fair amount of space between them as she straightened out the wrinkles of her lab coat.

“I finish my work around eight or nine. Much later if I lose track of time.” She said all of a sudden, turning away for what felt like the umpteenth time and returning her focus to the vials. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you my quarters’ password.”

Killjoy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment…

“Don’t let anyone see you enter my quarters, or else I’m filling yours with poison gas.”

…only for her eyes to suddenly widen and her face to brighten with redness.

“Y-You’re serious!? This is for real? Your offer, that is.” Killjoy sputtered out, absolutely staggered by the invitation she was just offered. Though it was given in a relatively threatening manner, it still sparked a feeling of delight within her.

“I will not repeat myself.” Viper spoke in an unsmiling tone. “Leave me to work in peace before I retract my offer.”

As if the beeping sound of a Spike approaching detonation flooded her ears, Killjoy immediately nodded before she rushed towards the lab door. She spammed the ‘Open’ button on the intercom, tapping her foot impatiently as the door hissed again and leisurely slid open.

“I’ll see you later, then, _ja_?”

She honestly expected no reply, but…

“Hmm.”

“ _Auf Wiedersehen_ , Sabine! Until later.” _(_ _Auf Wiedersehen - Goodbye_ _)_

Call it wishful thinking, but that flat, almost grunt-like hum was more than she could ever ask for as a response from Viper.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

It was nearing half past ten in the evening and despite the late hour, there were still a couple of soldiers walking through the halls, holding quiet conversations, especially when they passed the sleeping quarters. Not only that, but of course there were also evening patrols assigned to various area in HQ.

Which was probably why Killjoy nearly had a heart attack when she snuck inside Viper’s chamber. To make things much worse, Sage and Raze nearly caught her when they were on their way to their own sleeping quarters. Thankfully, she managed to enter the code to the door and dived in just in time.

Unlike the usual battle gear, she was just wearing a pair of black sweatpants, a plain white tank top and of course her signature yellow jacket and green beanie. She also brought some clothes she could change into once morning comes, so she wouldn't stand out and look unusual if ever she got caught walking back to her quarters in her pajamas in case she wakes up late the next day.

The question remains though...

Was Viper going to allow her in spending the night with her?

Killjoy shook her head. She placed her overnight bag on the floor at the end of the bed, shrugging her jacket off and leaving it on top of the bag before she plopped down on the sheets, which were pristine and free of any sort of wrinkle until she had occupied it. Since Viper was still not around, she figured she could take a moment to look at any possible decorations that could possibly adorn the walls of the quarters.

Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much to look at. The walls were practically bare save for a few of Viper's gear hanging on hooks and equipment mounted on the surface. If those weren't there, then Killjoy wouldn't have known if this was where Viper actually sleeps at.

She sighed, drawing circles with her finger over the bed sheet, which was apparently dark green. A small chuckle left her, laying herself across the bed and taking in one of the two pillows in her arms. Killjoy smiled as she buried the lower half of her face in Viper's pillow, taking in the the perfumed scent it possessed. There was also an undertone of citrus, which reminded her of the aromatic smell of wine. It suited Viper.

Sitting back up, Killjoy continued to embrace the pillow against her as she began to think about what would soon follow once Viper returns from her lab. In absolute honesty, Killjoy hadn't exactly planned anything when it comes to sleeping with Viper. She didn't think she'd get this far so quickly.

 _'Probably should've considered the possibilities.'_ She thought to herself before she eventually shook her head. How was she supposed to know that Viper would even offer this type of commitment? _'Wait, if we do this, does that mean she's mine? Or is this one of those one-night-stand kind of rendezvous?'_

**_Hiss!_ **

Killjoy abruptly sat upright when the door hissed open, revealing Viper, who was just ending her conversation with Omen. The latter tilted his head in the tiniest bit possible when he spotted Killjoy on the bed, the young agent smiling sheepishly and giving a small wave of a hand. There was as no point in hiding it anyway.

"Looks like you have company." Omen commented with his usual low and husky voice, glancing over Viper's shoulder.

Viper, who was halfway through her open door, looked towards where Killjoy was situated at before she rolled her eyes at the mention. Dismissing Omen with a simple wave of a hand, Viper turned away and fully entered her quarters. The door slid close behind her and before it did, Omen was already gone.

" _Hallo._ " Killjoy greeted with a little smile, remaining casual as Viper stalked towards her.

Green eyes flickered at the overnight bag on the floor before it completely focused on the agent on her bed, looking fully prepared to accompany her in her own bed. Viper quirked an eyebrow at the German before her, saying, "You actually came and waited."

"I told you earlier, didn't I? I'm all for it if you are." Killjoy's cheeky smile then upturned her lips as she released the pillow and got off the bed, standing right before Viper. "Unless you weren't actually serious about your invitation and I possibly misinterpreted what you said."

Viper rolled her eyes at that. She pushed Killjoy back on the bed, but instead of joining her, she untucked the black turtleneck and made her way to where her personal bathroom can be found. Once her top was untucked from her pants, she turned to Killjoy and maintained eye contact as she spoke.

"Stay right there."

Killjoy nodded mutely, gulping quietly as she watched Viper pull her top off, which revealed the standard black bra she wore underneath. The clothing was tossed into the hamper beside the bathroom doorway before she started with her pants. Killjoy remained seated on the bed as she intently watched Viper strip down to her underwear. Her admiration went to an abrupt halt when Viper turned away from her to step into the bathroom.

Needle marks.

Viper's back, specifically the area outlining her spine, was littered with needle marks. The look she got was brief, but those marks weren't something to take lightly. They seemed to have healed already, but judging from what she had seen, it must've hurt Viper a whole lot when she got those.

Throughout the time Viper was in the shower, Killjoy was just sitting on the bed, thinking about what she just saw. The way those marks were left on her skin, it was obvious she had put up a great deal of struggle when it happened, or else it would've have been as prominent as it was.

Killjoy recalled what she had read from Viper's file. A military scientist who had a passion in concocting various types of medicine and poison, mostly poison. She had read how Viper had snapped when those who started the war destroyed her home. She had taken out an entire outpost all by herself by filling the facility with poisonous gas, but before she could escape, she was captured and said to be tortured for weeks before she was rescued by the US military and recruited into the _VALORANT Protocol_.

Few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Viper stepped out in nothing but a plain white bathrobe and a towel she was using to dry her hair. Killjoy sat at attention again, offering a smile as soon as Viper looked towards her.

"Feeling refreshed?"

"Very." Was Viper's simple reply before she approached the dresser at the side and withdrew the clothes she intended on wearing for tonight.

"That's good."

Killjoy was wracking her head for something more to say, but she couldn't think of anything else. Most especially not when Viper shrugged her bathrobe off and hung it on a vacant hook at the side. Russet brown eyes roamed the scientist's body, but her gaze surprisingly lingered more on her back. It poked more on her curiosity and ensnared her interest more than the other tempting parts she could possibly gawk at.

Viper withdrew a pair of plain black jogger pants and a matching tank top, and settled on top of those two was a bra and plain underwear. Instead of wearing them though, Viper merely placed them on the surface of the dresser before she turned away, dimmed the lights nearly to black and finally faced Killjoy.

The German agent felt like her glasses would have fogged the moment Viper was completely facing her. Gone was the towel and robe and now, she was just looking at the woman without any kind of obscurity to cover her. Killjoy pursed her lips as Viper straddled her lap, cool and slim hands holding onto her shoulders to steady herself.

"Happy, _schnecke_?"

Killjoy wanted to give a reply completely unrelated to what she had discovered, but all she could utter to was, "What happened to your back?"

Viper's eyes darkened, which presented how she found the question distasteful. "That's none of your business."

"I want to know."

"I don't _want_ you to know."

"What happened, Sabine?"

A hand suddenly grabbed the hair on the back of her head and just by basing the feeling she received from the grip, Killjoy knew Viper was not pleased with her prodding.

"You read my damn file, didn't you? Isn't that enough of an explanation?" Viper said through gritted teeth, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Or is it because you find it disgusting?"

Killjoy's eyes widened that. "What? No! No! Not at all!"

She felt the grip on her hair tighten. "Then why ask?"

"I... I just want you to share your pain. To me." Killjoy answered truthfully. "I really care about you, Sabine. I want to be the one that knows everything about you."

"I thought I told you I'm not interested in these talks."

"I know you're not. I just...-"

"They took my home from me," Viper snarled. "so I took their lives. And because of that, they took the remains of my pathetic life and made it a living hell. Again, let me ask you. Are. You. Happy, _schnecke_?"

Instead of fear creeping over her, Killjoy's face morphed into a crestfallen expression. Despite the malice in Viper's voice, the hate when she uttered her nickname, Killjoy felt her heart soften at the response she had acquired. Delicately, she took both of Viper's hands, removing the one that was clutching her hair in a vice-like grip.

It was a bit surprising that Viper even let her hold her hands at that moment.

Viper was still glaring at her, but it mildly faded as she watched Killjoy examine her hands as if they were a sight worth admiring. The longer she watched, the more her glare transformed into a scowl. She could see her own fingers twitching in Killjoy's steady touches. It was a side-effect she had obtained after she was tortured. The enemies tried various types of poison on her. Poison that was supposed to mess up her nervous system.

Though Viper learned she was unkillable by poison, it didn't mean the ones that were injected in her system that time didn't have an effect on her. She absolutely scorned her hands whenever they twitched. It was like a reminder of what she lost. That she once had the steady hands any surgeon would have likely killed for.

"...No, I'm not happy." Killjoy finally replied, bringing Viper's twitching hands up and planting a kiss on each of them. "I think you should rest, Sabine. You look tired."

"..." Viper's eyebrows were still furrowed, but she just remained silent and continued to stare at Killjoy, knowing the latter has more to say.

"To be honest, you _always_ look tired. You need to rest." Killjoy then wrapped an arm around her waist, scooting further on the bed until they were away from the edge. "We don't have to do anything tonight. In fact, if you want, I can leave, especially since I feel like I might've just ruined the mood with all the things I...- _oomf!_ "

An audible _poof!_ sounded when Killjoy was abruptly pushed down and onto the pillow, Viper's lips on top of hers all of a sudden. Her eyes widened and a yelp nearly left her when she felt Viper's tongue slither in and play with her own tongue, prompting her eyes to eventually flutter close at the sensational feeling it inflicted on her.

Killjoy gasped as soon as Viper retracted, lips moving along her neck. With a hand clasped on the other side, Viper looked more like a vampire about to sink their fangs through the victim's skin. Instead of tearing through though, Viper merely nipped on the skin, her teeth scraping but not all harming.

"S-Sabine..." Killjoy called out weakly, biting down on her lip the second she felt Viper clasp her mouth on her pulse. With how fervently the woman sucked on her skin, she was more than sure that it'll surely leave a mark for everyone to eventually see.

As Viper busied herself with marking Killjoy, she snuck a hand underneath the agent's shirt, her fingertips tracing over a firmly toned abdomen before it stopped right on top of the heart strongly and frantically beating. Her fingers pressed against it, taking a bit of Killjoy's attention.

"Is my touch really that thrilling to you?"

Killjoy nodded, her left hand coming up to rest on top of the one on her heart. She gave Viper's hand a light squeeze while she moved her head until she found the emeralds that practically glowed in the dark room.

"It's... It's very riveting."

Viper scoffed, albeit half-heartedly, before she murmured, " _You're_ riveting."

Killjoy's eyes widened, the emotion in her eyes bright and excited. "You...! You complimented me!"

Viper groaned lowly, shaking her head. "And here I am regretting I even bothered."

"No, no, no," Killjoy made a motion of sitting up, prompting Viper to lean back and give her the space she needed to do so. She took hold of the scientist's hips and pulled her closer than she already was, trying her hardest not to grin too widely. "this is progress, Sabine! Huge progress, if you ask me."

"I'm not."

"Nonetheless, this serves further proof that it _is_ worth trying with you." Killjoy leaned in and brushed her nose with the tip of Viper's own. "I'm really glad I didn't stop even when you told me to."

Viper didn't bother hiding how she rolled her eyes at Killjoy's words. "Ugh, you are becoming more and more intolerable by the minute."

"I like you, too, Sabine."

"Oh shut up."

Killjoy hummed quite happily as hers and Viper's lips connected once again, the corner of her lips tugging upward as they both reintroduced their tongues with one another. She ran her fingers over Viper's back, feeling the faint needle marks underneath her fingertips.

Viper broke away, inching in and nipping at one of Killjoy's ears. She whispered, "You're very fond of my scars, aren't you?"

"I adore them." Killjoy murmured, her smile ringing through her words. "I'd honestly like to take a moment one day to admire them."

A small scoff-like chuckle. "Not tonight, _schnecke_."

Viper pushed her back down on the bed before crawling back and taking her pants and underwear down with her. It made Killjoy realize that between the two of them, she was the only one decently clothed. She had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat as she watched Viper settle between her legs, kissing and licking at the inside of her thighs. It made her squirm a little in reaction.

" _Mein Gott_ , Sabine..." Killjoy pursed her lips soon after she said that. She felt Viper exhale at her entrance, which was steadily becoming more and more moist by the second. Her hips jerked the moment Viper traced a finger over her slit, a suppressed moan slipping out of her lips. _(Mein Gott - My God)_

"Sensitive... Hmm, I like it." Viper finally closed the distance, running her tongue over Killjoy's sex in a leisure pace. It succeeded in causing the said woman to let out a loud moan of pleasure.

For the next few minutes, Killjoy squirmed and jerked as Viper continued licking her, pace increasing whenever she was becoming too quiet. She had already clasped a hand over her mouth just to mute her moans and cries. Even though they were reassured that the sleeping quarters were soundproof, Killjoy didn't want to take the risk of letting their fellow agents know what she and Viper were doing.

Her hands were all over the place. She would grip at the sheets, pound a fist against the wall or clutch at Viper's raven hair. She couldn't keep them at one place, especially when Viper started toying with her clit. The moment the latter started doing such, Killjoy failed to stop herself from crying the scientist's name.

"Sabine... Sabine... Ohhh, Sabine, _mein Gott!_ You're too good at this...!"

Viper smugly smirked to herself once she heard that line particular. She took her lips away, only to fix them both in a different position. Killjoy watched with a gleam of eagerness when Viper hovered her very own womanhood right above hers. She directed her up to the dark-haired woman, who was eyeing her with that mischievous smirk she usually saw whenever the other was immensely pleased with something.

"It gets better."

Just like what was guaranteed, it _did_ get better. Killjoy arched her back and moaned out Viper's name once again as soon as she felt the other woman's sex grind against hers. Teeth biting down on her lip yet again, Killjoy forced herself to meet Viper's thrusts, inspiring not only from herself but Viper as well as they both repeatedly ground against one another.

" _Oh Gott...!_ That feels amazing! _Scheisse!_ " _(Oh Gott - Oh God...! / Scheisse - Shit!)_

The room was filled with either the sound of Killjoy calling out to the Heavens above, Viper's low but audible breaths and of course the explicit sound of their quims rubbing at each other. The scent of sex was beginning to waft in the air, serving as an additional aphrodisiac to the two agents.

" _Schneller_ , Sabine!" ( _Faster, Sabine!)_

Viper's eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion. She may refer to Killjoy with a German nickname and she may be knowledgeable to a bit of the German language, but she didn't know everything, and that includes whatever it was her partner was saying. Especially the other words that soon followed after it.

When Killjoy realized that she was screaming out various words in her native language, she shook her head and took a quick breath before saying, "Faster, Sabine... I meant, faster, please!"

"That I can do, _schnecke_."

Complying to the other's wishes, Viper increased her efforts with her thrusts. The wetness between them was becoming quite a mess, but neither of them cared. Viper even took the initiative in reaching down and playing with Killjoy's neglected lovebud. 

The buildup within Killjoy was rapid once Viper toyed with her clit, so it was no surprise when she felt the pressure below become unbearable. Her left hand was in her hair, making a mess of her tresses as she pulled and gripped at the orgasm about to take over her.

"S-Sabine...! I'm... I'm...-"

"Cum for me, _schnecke_. Let me see you come loose."

" _Mmm!_ "

Killjoy quickly grabbed the pillow at the side, biting down on it for a second before she muffled her scream with it. The climax she felt was unlike the ones she had before. She practically spilled her essence all over Viper's own core. It felt as if everything just exploded within her, sending electrifying sensations through her and prompting her to grip at whatever she could grab hold of.

The high lessened gradually and when it did, it was just in time. IT gave her a bit of consciousness towards the sight above her.

" _H-Hah...!_ " Viper gasped as she moaned out, acquiring her own orgasm soon after Killjoy.

It was when Killjoy felt the warm wetness between her legs become more prominent. Clearly, it wasn't only her who ended up spilling at someone. She felt absolutely satisfied with the feeling of Viper's own little _'venom'_ dripping and sullying her womanhood. It was an arousing sensation that brought wonders that made her stomach flutter.

As Viper allowed herself to fall over Killjoy, face nestled at the side of the latter's head and lips releasing hot breaths, it was the only time they both realized they were both holding onto one another with one hand. It was also the moment Killjoy wished that she had taken the time earlier to remove her shirt, for she wanted nothing more but to feel Viper's warm body against her own without any barrier between their skins.

When Viper managed to regain a bit of strength, she pushed herself up a little and looked towards her left hand, which was intertwined with Killjoy's right. She quietly scoffed at the sight, but she didn't pull her hand away immediately.

Shaking her head, she adjusted on top of Killjoy and moved off. It was not so surprising when the techie followed after her, enveloping her in an embrace she didn't really think she'd actually enjoy being in. Not wanting Killjoy to see any possible smiles from her, she spun herself around, her back facing Killjoy and wordlessly giving her the chance to spoon from behind her.

"I'm a _little_ happy now." Was the first thing Killjoy said as she retook one of Viper's hands and started playing with it. She lightly poked and fiddled with the woman's fingers, smiling whenever they twitched every second or two.

Viper's lips parted open, probably to say something about what they had just done, but she chose to change it to, "If I hear you snore, I won't hesitate in throwing you out of my quarters."

"Aww, come on. You won't do that, would you?"

What Killjoy got was Viper looking over her shoulder and a gaze that told her that she will definitely get tossed out if ever she dared to snore in her sleep.

"...I won't snore. Gotcha."

"Good."

" _Süße Träume_ , Sabine." _(Good night, Sabine.)_

.....

.....

.....

"Sleep well, _maus_." _(maus - mouse)_

Upon hearing such, Killjoy abruptly snuggled her face against Viper's neck, causing the agent to suddenly cuss out at the sudden show of affection.

"Goddamit, go to sleep!"

"You called me mouse! Oh, I'll have good dreams tonight indeed!"

"Ugh."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Maybe Killjoy's assumption was right. Maybe it _was_ just one of those one-night-stand type of thing. After all, she did wake up to an empty bed. Viper was nowhere to be found despite the time just being around nine o'clock when she opened her eyes. If it really was just a one time thing, Killjoy would be pretty disappointed.

Scratch that, she'd be _extremely_ disappointed, and perhaps a little broken-hearted.

Being called from _schnecke_ to _maus_ was probably not much of a _'promotion'_ ,after all.

Killjoy sighed as she settled on one of the vacant tables at the mess hall. She placed her tray at one side of the table before she turned to the remaining space and started bringing out her bots. To prevent others from sitting with her since she wasn't in the chatting mood, she took out as much bots as she had in storage to occupy most of the table and the other vacant seats.

At least this way, not only will no one try in joining her at the table, but this would also give her a chance to just tinker with her bots while she ate her breakfast.

With a nanoswarm held in her right hand, a piece of toast hanging from her mouth and her left hand handling a screwdriver, Killjoy was too focused on her equipment to notice there was someone standing in front of her with their own tray of breakfast in hand.

**_Crash!_ **

Killjoy's head snapped up, placing her nanoswarm down and preparing herself to shout at the person that had the audacity to push her turret off its place. Her words dried up in an instant when she found _Viper_ standing there, moving the fallen turret aside with her left foot before she used her tray to push the other equipment on the table. The sound of the alarmbot falling off the edge of the table reached Killjoy's ears, causing her to flinch a little at the audible crash.

"Sabine?"

Viper stayed quiet as she started eating her own breakfast, which was a stuffed omelet. The woman didn't seem to be fazed with what she had done, but judging from Killjoy's wide-eyed expression, the latter didn't seem to have much to say about it either.

"Uhh, what're you doing here?"

"Eating breakfast." Viper simply replied, pulling up a bunch of statistics through a hologram being projected by one of her gloves, which was different from the usual black and green she usually had on. This one was just plain black, its edges lighting up with a white light as the hologram she was looking at changed every swipe and tap of her finger.

"Ah, well, I know that, but what're you..." Killjoy stopped, clearing her throat and deciding to rephrase her question. "You woke up earlier than me, right? Didn't you already eat or something?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why?"

"I don't have much free time for meals."

"And?"

"I schedule them accordingly."

Killjoy's eyebrows furrowed. "That doesn't make much sense."

Viper sighed and shook her head, but said nothing else.

Just when Killjoy was about to prod about the topic more, Reyna suddenly came into the picture. The mischievous agent had a smirk on her face as she passed by behind Killjoy, leaning low to tell her, "What Viper here means to say is that she was waiting for you to wake up before she ate, little one."

Before any of them could react, Reyna tugged at the collar of Killjoy's jacket, exposing the hickey Viper had left on her neck.

"Though it looks like you fed her well last night, didn't you?"

Killjoy's cheeks flushed red at that. She had to fix the perch of her glasses on her nose and rearrange the collar of her jacket, while Reyna laughed to herself as she walked away. Viper merely glared at the departing agent before she directed her gaze to her tablemate.

The toast Killjoy was nibbling on was abandoned on the tray, the sound of her screwdriver scraping against the surface of the table being a clear indication she was just finding a way to occupy herself and not appear too awkward.

"You... You waited for me?"

Viper turned the hologram off, suppressing a sigh as she said, "Don't start now. I told you, I'm not one for meaningful conversations." 

Killjoy reacquired some of her confidence at the thought of Viper adjusting her schedule just for her, leaning on the table as she smiled and said, "Is it alright if I fix my bots at your lab? I won't be noisy, I promise."

"...Just for today?"

"For the week."

"For today."

"For five days!"

"For. Today." Viper emphasized, the look on her face telling Killjoy that she was certainly _not_ getting the permission she wanted even for a _single day_ if she kept renegotiating.

"For today." Killjoy said affirmatively, nodding. "Deal."

"Persistent little _maus_." Viper muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"This _maus_ is taller than you, _häschen_." _(bunny)_

Viper's eyes snapped back to Killjoy, her tone sounding murderous when she questioned, "Did you just call me _'bunny'_?"

Killjoy immediately raised her hands in front of her, the screwdriver clattering on the floor when she dropped it. "Won't do it again. Promise."

"You're one piece of work, aren't you?"

"The smartest one you'll ever find."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well... This one was unexpected. I just started this story out, thinking what the heck, let's try writing about VALORANT, so here it is! It's my first time writing about VALORANT, and with the limited lore it's currently offering, it's super hard. ><
> 
> I would love to know what you readers think about this piece though! Feedback and suggestions for any other possible VALORANT fics in the future is much appreciated! ^u^
> 
> This piece is dedicated to @xSNOW_WEISSx from Twitter! Their art is amazing, go check it out when you can! :D
> 
> In addition, I was really inspired by @MalevolentLXIX (also from Twitter) and their VALORANT fan arts! Check them out, too!
> 
> Anyway, I'm not exactly sure when I'll release another VALORANT fic. Maybe when I get inspired again, I will. 
> 
> Till next time, my peeps!


	2. Risks and Sacrifices

****Risks and Sacrifices**** _(Viper x Killjoy / Reyna x Sage x Jett)_

“Ah, there they go again.”

Standing beside one of the tables in the training area within the facility, Sova, Phoenix and Viper could be found preparing their equipment for a little simulation training. The clicking sound of their guns being drowned out by the occasional shots Jett and Reyna fired at the moving targets before them.

Unsurprisingly, Sage was also there. If Raze wasn’t out with Omen and Killjoy for a mission, then she’d probably be there to cheer on the two competing agents.

Like what Sova had mentioned, Jett and Reyna were once again going head-to-head in vying for Sage’s attention. While Jett had boasted about how Sage and her had been paired up for a mission last week with Breach and Omen, Reyna was openly bragging about how she and Sage went on a recon operation with Cypher two days ago and that the latter was considerate enough to give them both a little bit of privacy during their flight to the involved location.

One thing led to another and poof, they were back to competing with one another by showing off who’s much better. It was becoming a routine, honestly, and the other agents had already become used to it.

“I know I’m a little dense, but I’m not _that_ dense.” Phoenix said with a little snicker, nodding towards Sage. “Jett and Reyna have been trying to get her attention for a long time. Can’t believe she still hasn’t noticed it yet.”

“Sage isn’t one to put meanings behind a person’s words without clarification.” Sova said, chuckling. “I do not blame her. The two _do_ have a bit of an unorthodox way of acquiring her heart.”

“What do you think, Viper?” Phoenix asked, giving the scientist a light nudge with this elbow. “Any thoughts about them?”

“None.” Viper deadpanned, most of her attention focused on the pistol she was handling. “I don’t waste time listening to idle gossip.”

“Ah, of course.” Sova replied for Phoenix, a knowing look written all over his face. “After all, whenever you’re not working in your lab, you’re with your _myshka_.” _(myshka – mouse)_

Viper lightly glared at the initiator in return, but said nothing.

“ _Myshka?_ ” Phoenix asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Does that…? Does that mean mouse?”

“That it does, my friend.” Sova said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “It’s what Viper calls Killjoy.”

Phoenix outright had to stop himself from laughing when he looked towards Viper, only to find the woman now directing her glare at him. “Wait, so the rumours about you and KJ, it’s true?”

“That’s none of your business. And, if you continue to prod,” Viper cocked the Ghost she had in hand and smiled sardonically at Phoenix. “I don’t know what I might do with this gun.”

While Sova laughed at the threat, Phoenix paled. He _was_ literally beside Viper, so before Sova gets shot for outright laughing, he would probably die first if they both continued to prompt for a response from Viper.

Just when Sova was about to ask them if they’re ready for their simulation practice, Brimstone marched in with a grim expression on his face. He may not have immediately captured their attention upon his arrival, but the heavy thump of his footsteps surely did.

“Sova! Sage! Viper! Reyna!” Brimstone called out, ushering the four agents to follow him before he turned away and made his way back to the exit.

“Wait, wait, what about me?” Phoenix asked before he glanced at Jett, who dashed forward to try and chase after Brimstone. “Uh, us, I mean. What about Jett and me?”

Brim waved a hand over his shoulder as he said, “If you two really want to do something, go and help Breach and the other mechanics in fixing the aircraft Omen and the others used. It’s been damaged.”

“Their aircraft was damaged? By what?” Sage queried, trailing after the man with the three other mentioned agents, which left Phoenix and Jett to groan to themselves.

“I’ll give you guys a rundown at the briefing room. The guns you’ll be needing are already there, so equip yourselves while I give the quick briefing.”

On their way to the said location, Reyna bumped her shoulder against Viper’s as she murmured, “I sense trouble.”

“Oh really? What gave it away? The sudden briefing or was it Brimstone’s boots?” Viper returned sarcastically, earning a sweet and insincere smile from Reyna.

“Aren’t you even worried about your little _esposa_?” _(esposa – wife)_

Viper rolled her eyes. “She wouldn’t have been recruited if she wasn’t capable of handling herself in the field.”

“Hmm, true. But, you’re not even a _little_ concerned for her?”

Viper chose to ignore Reyna’s query, which merely caused the latter to titter to herself. No matter how hard she tried, it would seem that Viper was never in the mood to talk about her relationship with Killjoy or any of her feelings involving the techie.

Once they were in the briefing room, Brimstone allowed a few minutes to pass for them to begin equipping their weapons and accessories brought in by a couple of soldiers before he started typing on the holographic keyboard. In a flash, the enemy facility involved in the operation Omen and his team was assigned to handle was pulled up in holographic form at the center of the technologically advanced table in front of them.

“Operation Cleanse didn’t go as planned.” Brimstone said, gesturing at the facility model. “While Raze was creating a diversion, Omen planted the Spike in the heart of the facility. Unfortunately, someone seemed to have raised the alarm and so, he wasn’t able to stay back long enough to guard the Spike.”

“The spike was diffused, wasn’t it?” Sova guessed, earning a nod from the other man.

“It was. Omen ordered Raze and Killjoy to fall back and to rendezvous to an appointed location where their aircraft was. Raze got out clean and was the first one there, followed soon after by Omen.” Brimstone then sighed, looking immensely upset as his gaze lingered to Viper before he refocused his stare to the projected hologram. “Killjoy though, yes, she abandoned her post, but she didn’t retreat.”

“What?” Came Viper’s expected response.

Brimstone pursed his lips for a moment before he said, “She went around the outer grounds and tried redeploying the spike through her computer.”

“Couldn’t she have done that from her previous position?” Sage asked with a worried frown.

“No, she couldn’t. The enemies had deployed a jamming signal and it affected her connections. She deployed a counter signal, which required her to get closer to the facility for its radius to _actually_ reach the enemy’s. She… succeeded in redeploying the spike, but it was only for a few seconds. The spike was diffused again once she was tracked down through the signal she had launched.”

“She’s been captured?” Though she didn’t shout, the even tone Viper used made it obvious she was holding herself back from letting her frustration get the best of her. “Why didn’t Omen come back for her? Raze? What did she do?”

“Viper, listen. Omen and Raze _did_ intend on going back, but the enemies had already traced their trail and left them no choice but to take the aircraft and go.” Brimstone said, knowing his reply wouldn’t put Viper at ease. “I gave them the order to retreat, and so they did.”

“What about…-“

“That’s why you four are here, aren’t you?” Brimstone cut off, glancing between the agents before him. “I’m assigning all four of you for a rescue mission. Sova, I expect you to grant vision and cover for the rest of the team.”

“Leave it to me. I shall keep them cornered.”

Brimstone then turned to Sage. “Sage, you decide for yourself if you’ll infiltrate the facility with Reyna and Viper, or you stay with Sova.”

Sage nodded. “I know what must be done. I’ll make the choice once we assess the situation.”

“Alright. Reyna,” Brimstone directed his attention to the mentioned agent. “with your capabilities, I’m sure you won’t have much difficulties in facing the enemies.”

Reyna lightly scoffed, a smug smile on her face. “Leave it to me, Brimstone. I will bleed them dry.”

“I’m counting on it. Now, Viper,” Brimstone placed a hand over the said agent’s shoulder, giving her a small shake before he continued. “I know you wouldn’t stay back to create a diversion even if I commanded you, so I trust that you can handle yourself with Reyna. Take control and cripple the enemy’s vision.”

Viper averted her gaze, shrugging Brimstone’s hand off her shoulder. “I know my priorities, Brimstone.”

“Alright then,” Unoffended with Viper’s dismissive tone, he eventually returned his focus on addressing all four of them. “you have two options. One, you can bring a squad of soldiers with you for the mission, _or_ you four handle this operation on your own. That is, _if_ you think you can.”

Reyna glanced between the three and judging from the looks they gave, she chose to reply for all of them. “We’ll take care of this ourselves, Brimstone. Besides, this is a _very personal_ matter for a certain someone here. It’ll be chaos, and wouldn’t we prefer to minimize casualties?”

“Heh, fine. Since all of you seem to agree on that, let me give you guys a little _‘tour’_ of the facility’s structure.”

****xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx** **

The aircraft flew through the skies in stealth mode, passing through clouds here and there as they made their way to the designated location in their navigation system. Judging from the footage of the satellite feed, the enemies had been on high-alert ever since the attempt for _Operation: Cleanse_.

Fortunately, they’ve at least confirmed that Killjoy has yet to be transferred to a different facility, which eliminated the difficulties in tracking her down elsewhere.

While Reyna and Sage idly conversed at the cockpit, Sova and Viper were situated at the back. The Russian seemed to be preoccupied with his bow, which he was examining for any possible flaws that might serve as a hindrance to their mission.

Two spaces away from him, Viper was insouciantly toying with a slim and tiny toxic canister between her twitching fingers. She stared across her with a distant gaze, her mind wandering from one paranoid thought to another.

Unconsciously, she pursed her lips at the dreadful speculations that fleeted across her mind. She wasn’t exactly the positive-thinker type of person. Whenever she was being pessimistic about something, Killjoy was always there to literally poke at her and show her the bright side of what the situation could be.

_‘Why are you so affected with this?’_

It was a question she couldn’t seem to answer herself. She may have called whatever they have a romance, but she never was _affectionate_ towards Killjoy. That is, if she didn’t count all the times she made the young agent cry her name out after giving her pleasurable _‘attention’_.

Eating meals with her and occasionally allowing her to hang out at her lab wasn’t really considered romantic in her opinion. Killjoy usually held one-sided conversations with her whenever she’s at her lab, and she merely provided short replies that would probably discourage anyone from further continuing.

But not Killjoy, no. The quirky German was always there to shed a little sunshine in Viper’s gloomy days.

Additionally, Viper wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she actually _liked_ having Killjoy play with her fingers. The techie never failed to make her feel like her hands were as _extraordinary_ as her very own mind. They may _look_ normal, but the whole twitching thing wasn’t something other people would immediately go for.

Recalling the most recent time Killjoy was at her lab, instead of a smile appearing on her face, she frowned. She only had a handful of expressions. Frowning, scowling, deadpan or the occasional complacent smirks Killjoy was greatly fond of.

With crystal clarity, Viper allowed the memory to play in her head.

_“Come on, Sabine. Just thirty minutes.”_

_“In those thirty minutes, I can easily concoct two types of poison.”_

_“Twenty minutes, then.”_

_“No.”_

_“Ten minutes! No objections!”_

_Viper nearly growled when Killjoy took the vial she was holding, holding herself back from snatching them back. As much as she wanted to do such, she didn’t really want to cause an accident and end up accidentally hurting either of them. Mainly Killjoy._

_“Come on now.” Killjoy took both of Viper’s gloved hands and dragged her towards the long-forgotten black loveseat at the side of the room. It only gets used whenever Viper chose to stay the night in her lab, which was becoming rare these days due to a certain agent that just situated them both on the mentioned furniture._

_When Killjoy looked up, she found Viper with that usual scowl on her face. It didn’t dishearten her though._

_“Oh don’t give me that look.” Killjoy said with a brief wave of a hand before she started working on the clasps that of Viper’s gloves._

_“You are truly testing my patience, aren’t you?” Viper asked in a low tone, eyes narrowing._

_“I’m not testing anything or anyone. Believe me.” Killjoy delicately slipped the gloves off, placing them aside before she started massaging the scientist’s hands. “Your hands need rest, too. You may not need it, but they sure do.”_

_“And how would you know that?”_

_“They’re twitchier than usual.” Killjoy nonchalantly replied, bringing one of them up and giving it a little smooch. “I know you installed some sort of nerve stabilizers on these gloves of yours, but I know for certain that when your fingers start twitching even with them on, it means they’re exhausted.”_

_Viper said nothing, letting Killjoy knead her hands for a fairly long moment before she questioned, “Do you have some unconventional preference towards hands?”_

_Killjoy’s head snapped up at that, eyes wide behind those specs of hers. “I do not have a fetish for hands!”_

_“That’s hard to believe.”_

_“Alright, maybe for your hands, I might_ _have a strong fixation to,”_

_Viper didn’t bother saying anything at that. She merely quirked an eyebrow, which was enough to make Killjoy panic a little._

_“but that doesn’t mean I have a fetish for hands in general!” Killjoy then hunched a little, a pout playing on her lips as she focused her gaze on the hands she was massaging. “I just really, really love doing this to your hands. As much as I love drawing on your back.”_

_Though Viper didn’t blush, she did avert her gaze away, feeling like she would have flushed red if she continued watching Killjoy tenderly handling her hands._

The memory might be elating, but Viper didn’t feel any form of comfort or happiness. She sighed, tucking the poison canister back to its place on her belt before settling on staring at her hands, her eyebrows knitting together with slight annoyance as she watched her fingers twitch.

It was the opposite of Killjoy’s.

If those people, the ones who captured her little _maus_ , ever do anything similar to what they had done to her in the past…

If they retrieve Killjoy and she sees her hands twitch even the slightest bit because of any possible torture or experiments they may have conducted on her…

Viper clenched her hands into fists.

They want a villain? Oh, she’ll certainly give it to them.

Meanwhile, at the cockpit…

Reyna glanced at the navigation screen before her gaze drifted to her right, where Sage was occupying the co-pilot seat. Her delicate features were morphed into a serious expression, the frustration shining in her dark brown eyes.

“Sage, you seem troubled.”

Sage softly sighed, offering a brief apologetic smile. “I always am whenever someone’s in danger.”

“Killjoy is a strong one. She is a _Radiant_ , after all. She wouldn’t have been called into the VALORANT protocol if she isn’t capable of handling herself.”

“You’re right. I’m just concerned.” Sage glanced over her shoulder and towards Sova and Viper. “For everyone.”

“That’s why you are here, aren’t you?” Reyna gave a wink when Sage looked towards her, prompting the healer to refocus her gaze ahead. “We all trust in you and your healing.”

In the very lightest shade, Sage blushed, smiling as she spared a glance at Reyna. “I’m flattered you have faith in me and my capabilities.”

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the occasional rustle of clothes whenever one of them shifted on their seats while there was the faint sound of Sova’s bow clicking and Viper’s fingers audibly tapping against the edge of her steel seat.

“Can I ask you something, Sage?”

“What is it?”

“Are you interested in men?”

Sage’s eyes widened a little, head turning to stare back at Reyna with mild surprise. Of all questions the duelist could have asked her, _that_ in particular was certainly one of the most unexpected.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well,” Reyna chuckled to herself, thinking Jett would probably be fuming now if she was witnessing this conversation of theirs. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Jett and I have been…-“

A sigh. Though it was a small reaction, it did halt Reyna from further continuing her statement. She turned to face Sage, tilting her head and patiently waiting for her to explain the sigh she gave. That reaction alone had more than enough meaning to give Reyna a clue in what the sentinel was talking about.

“I know, Reyna. I _did_ notice.” A mixture of a sheepish and apologetic expression took over the healer’s face as she turned to meet Reyna’s gaze for a short moment.

“You have?”

“It’s rather difficult not to.” Sage said lightheartedly. “The only thing missing is you and Jett just coming up to me and outright telling me what you two feel.”

Reyna then raised a curious eyebrow at the woman. “Why play clueless, then? Is it because you have no interest in either of us?”

Sage let out a light, bashful laugh. “It’s not that. I’d have to be blind to not be attracted to your appearance alone. Furthermore, you and Jett have _quite_ the personality. It’s both very charming, honestly.”

“If that’s what you truly think of us, what is stopping you from noticing at least one of us?”

“That’s exactly why.”

Reyna quirked an eyebrow again, nodding to telling Sage to continue with her point.

Sage glanced around, making sure Sova and Viper weren’t listening in on their talk before she spoke in a low volume. “I’m not considering any of you two because I like _both_ of you.”

One or two times, Reyna blinked back at Sage, caught by surprise by the answer she received. “You like _us_? Jett and I?”

Sage nodded wordlessly, lips pursing firmly as she kept her gaze straightforward and nowhere near Reyna’s vibrant amethyst eyes.

Everything Sage said was true. She _did_ like the two agents, but she knew it would be unfair to ask for them both. Like what they say, you can’t have the best of both worlds. In this case, she couldn’t just have Reyna and Jett all to herself for selfish reasons.

“What if Jett and I are fine with it?”

Sage snapped her gaze to Reyna. “Fine with what?”

Reyna merely shrugged, wearing a smirk that told Sage what she meant.

“Oh no, no, that’s just… That’s just dishonorable. _Absolutely_ dishonorable.”

“But if it isn’t, you would say yes?”

Sage shook her head, face reddening visibly. “It would be _blasphemous_ , Reyna. I couldn’t possibly imagine…-“

“You don’t have to imagine anything if you say yes.” Reyna’s smirk returned, wider and more mischievous than usual when she caught Sage’s gaze. “It’s not a requirement to consider this notion, but there’s no harm in contemplating, yes?”

“…Maybe.” Sage murmured, eyes casting low for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“You have all the time in the world to think about it, Sage. Don’t pressure yourself.”

Despite what Reyna said, Sage still felt anxious about making the decision.

****xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx** **

Cold and plain. Yep, that was likely the most accurate term Killjoy could think about when it came to describing the cell she was in. The walls were white, the floor was white and the steel bars were plain silver.

 _‘Not even a single bed.’_ Killjoy thought bitterly, arching her back to try and get rid of the ache she’s been sporting for a while now.

With how long she’s been cooped up in this boring cell, Killjoy wasn’t even sure how long she’s been there. All she knew was that she was hungry and that she was absolutely irritated that her high-tech watch and gloves were also confiscated from her.

“Hey, you!” Killjoy scrambled off the floor, rushing towards the cell bars once she spotted a guard in the middle of walking past her. The man stopped, raising an eyebrow once he faced her. “Are you going to keep me prisoner here or are you just set on starving me to death?”

The guard gave a scoff-like laugh, shaking his head before he raised his right wrist. “Get your hands off the bars. Now.”

“Oh sorry, I don’t take orders from _arschlöcher_ like you.” _(arschlöcher – assholes)_

_BUZZ!_

Electricity abruptly coursed through her thanks to the bars that were suddenly electrified, the guard in front of her smirking smugly as she erratically convulsed for a couple of seconds before she succeeded in releasing the bars.

“Agh… _Scheisse_ …” Killjoy groaned, squirming on the floor as she tuck her trembling hands against her. There were still aftershocks inside of her, feeling her heart rapidly beating inside her.

“It wasn’t an order, dumbass.” The guard said with a low snicker. “It’s a warning.”

“You know what,” Killjoy pushed herself up a little, glaring at the guard. “let me give my own warning.”

Unimpressed, the guard crossed his arms and asked, “And what’s that, huh?”

“Better start breathing a ton of oxygen, ‘cause once my girlfriend gets here, you’re gonna miss it.”

The guard merely scoffed again and shook his head before turning and walking away, paying no mind to the little _‘warning’_ she gave.

Left to her own solitude again, Killjoy scooted towards the nearest wall, slumping against it as she shook her hands to try and get the full feeling for it again. Despite being reassured with the thought of being rescued, especially since she knew at least more than half of the people in VALORANT HQ would make an effort to rescue her, the thought of Viper possibly not being part of the rescue team made her deflate a little.

She couldn’t really blame the scientist. She probably trusted the ones that were already assigned to the mission. That, and her test vials were most likely more important to her than someone like Killjoy. The techie huffed to herself, pouting slightly at the thought.

“This is what you got yourself into.” Killjoy said to herself, sighing. “Don’t complain now.”

While she was stuck there, moping and muttering about her relationship…

Hidden by the nature surrounding the facility, Sova had set up his place near a cliff-like location, his drone already sent out and scouring the area. He was thankful Killjoy had assisted him in completing the stealth feature it was currently using. It gave him more freedom in spying at the enemies without worrying about his equipment being shot down.

Behind him, Sage could be found settled on a small boulder and typing on a laptop Sova had connected to the facility’s camera system. After a bit of debate earlier, they’ve decided to leave Sage with Sova throughout the rescue process. But, they did say the two were expected to provide back-up if ever Reyna and Viper experience heavy gunfire upon their exit.

“Reyna, do you copy?”

Much farther down and closer to the enemy structure, Reyna and Viper were settled behind a few rocks and bushes. There were already five guards behind them, permanently incapacitated thanks to the poison Viper had unleashed onto them earlier and the bullets Reyna had shot at them.

“Waiting for your signal, Sova.”

“A single patrol will be passing in front of you in twenty seconds. Take them out and proceed into the facility. Sage will be freezing the cameras ten seconds from now.”

“Copy that.”

Like the skilled operatives they are, Reyna and Viper rushed out of their place and struck the aforementioned patrol with precision. Once the guards were down, they both hid them back to where they were previously situated at before continuing forward.

When they successfully infiltrated the facility, Sage was quick to tell them the directions they had to take. The healer directed them throughout their way, telling them to stop, when to strike and when to just stop and keep themselves hidden.

Going through a wide vent underneath the main floor, Reyna and Viper maintained a crouched position as they proceeded down the path ahead. Reyna’s eyes glanced at Viper’s hands every now and then, noticing how she seemed to be itching to just fill the entire place with her life-ending smoke.

“Calm yourself, _hermanita_.” Reyna murmured, earning nothing but silence from the other agent. “We will find her, and we will make those bastards pay.”

“I _know_ we’ll find her,” Viper quietly uttered, her words nearly inaudible underneath her mask. “and I also know what to do to those _insects_ when I find _them_.”

Reyna smirked. “Hold all that anger in, and maybe when Killjoy and I are in a much safer distance, then go ahead and unleash it.”

A long moment of silence passed between them, the voice of Sage through their earpieces being the only sound that reached both of their ears. Knowing they’ll be under heavy fire later once they retrieve Killjoy, they were somewhat savouring the calm before the storm.

“Her voice is music to the ears, no?” Reyna quipped quietly with a smirk-like smile. She and Viper were out of the vents already, backs against the wall as they waited for yet another patrol they’ll be disposing of.

Viper raised an eyebrow. “Sage?”

Reyna hummed. “Sadly, I seem to have to share her with someone if I ever desire to call her mine.”

“A polygamous relationship?” Viper’s interest was mildly piqued, mainly out of surprise. “Out of everyone, Sage is the last person I ever thought would consider that.”

Reyna hummed again, nodding. “I suppose a woman like her might just be too much for one person to love.”

“I’m more curious how you even convinced her to consider the option.”

“It was an adorable sight, but nonetheless, she has yet to make a decision.” Reyna took out her knife, signaling Viper that she’ll handle the upcoming guard. “And _that_ is why we must succeed with this mission of ours. I simply must know her choice once we’re done.”

Viper half-heartedly rolled her eyes, watching as Reyna clasped a hand over the guard’s mouth before she stabbed her knife through his neck.

Honestly, what Sage decides with this relationship of hers with Jett and Reyna, it was the least of Viper’s concerns. Admittedly, the only thing that mattered to her at the moment was to make certain that Killjoy is alive and breathing.

At the prisoner’s area, Killjoy can be found kicking at the bars of her cell. She seemed to have regained her energy in showing some defiance. The guard that had electrocuted her the first time was currently on break and was seated at the control panel at the side, chewing on a sandwich as he gave a sarcastic smile at the German.

Currently, there was another guard, a woman this time, who was standing right before Killjoy, an irritated look on her face as she glared at the agent that was making quite a ruckus with all the kicking and yelling she’s been doing.

“Does she ever shut up?” The on-duty guard asked, glancing over to the other guy.

“Heh, don’t really know.”

“If you want me to shut up, how about you come in this cell and do it yourself?” Killjoy challenged with a provoking smirk. “Or are you too afraid of that?”

Killjoy unfortunately made the mistake of grasping the cell bars to further emphasize her challenge. The moment she felt the cool feeling of the bars, it was too late for her. The guard at the side smirked along with his fellow guard as they watched Killjoy suddenly scream out and spasm at the electrocution she experienced once again.

With a sharp gasp, Killjoy fell back, the electricity coursing through the bars abruptly halting and vanishing. The voltage used was much higher and she was electrocuted far longer than the initial electrocution she suffered. Unlike earlier, she felt like all her energy was sapped away from her. She just stared at her mildly twitching arms and hands, groaning quietly when she realized one of the lenses of her glasses was cracked. It was probably because of her fall.

“That shut her up.” The female guard commented before her and the other snickered to themselves.

A soft whooshed sounded, too quiet to be heard through their sniggering. The man was dusting off the bread crumbs from his hands when he looked towards the woman, only to find a purple-hued figure fleet behind the said person. The mist-like outline caressed the guard’s shoulders with a featherlight touch, serving as some sort of sign that her end has come.

“Hey, what t…-“

Before he could finish, an arm suddenly snaked across his neck and pulled him off his seat, a gloved hand clasping over his open mouth. His protests were literally drowned out by the thick green liquid that suddenly poured in, suffocating him with scorching poison that caused him to merely manage a gargled scream. He writhed uncontrollably on the floor as Viper released him, the look of lividity on her face as clear as the death sentence she had given him.

Raising her head, Viper caught sight of Reyna grinning wickedly as she drove her knife through the female guard’s chest, her fiendish laugh echoing in the room as crimson trailed over the edges of the hilt and fell on the once pristine floor. The only ones to hear the sharp gasp of the victim and Reyna’s villainous cackle were the corpses that were left in the shadows by none other than the duo that had infiltrated the vicinity.

Viper’s eyes then wandered to the cell, her focus zeroing in on the fallen form of their comrade. She practically smashed one of the many buttons on the control panel, proceeding towards Killjoy once the bars retracted and served a barrier no more.

“Killjoy.” She uttered in an even tone, her voice giving away no emotion as she kneeled beside the operative and turned her over.

Killjoy squinted slightly, shaking her head when she found Viper eyeing her intently. The sight of the scientist alone was enough for her to feel a small boost of energy, especially since she was more than sure that a different agent would have come for her. Anyone but Viper, honestly.

“Sabine…?”

With a mildly trembling hand, Killjoy adjusted her glasses, only for Viper to suddenly grasp her wrist, somewhat stilling its rather shaky self and giving her a more steady view of her hands. Green eyes darkened evidently. It wasn’t just a plain furious look. There was something more underneath the raw anger.

“I hate to break this touching little reunion,” Reyna’s voice cut in as she stepped halfway into the cell, knife still dripping with blood. “but we best take our leave now. After all, we wouldn’t want to be thrown in a cell as well, would we?”

“R-Right.” Killjoy responded back, nodding once before she tried her hardest to push herself up on her feet. She had literally just shifted her legs when she was abruptly hoisted up, a quick cuss of surprise leaving her. She soon found herself on Viper’s back, legs firmly held by the latter and her arms reflexively wrapping around the woman’s shoulders to prevent herself from falling off. “Viper! I most definitely can walk!”

Her words fell on seemingly deaf ears. Viper rushed after Reyna, who had turned away and went down one of the paths Sage probably directed them to go. Throughout their way out of the facility, both Reyna and Viper could hear Sage calmly relay the directions they needed, the sound of explosions echoing from outside.

“What’s happening out there?” Viper questioned when a deafening explosion rang through her earpiece.

“Sova is currently keeping the enemies occupied with his arrows. You must hurry to the nearest exit before they pinpoint your location.” Sage answered, rustling soon following before a couple of gunshots sounded from her side.

“Sage!” Reyna called out, an evident hint of concern flashing in her eyes when they received no immediate response.

A couple more gunshots later, Sage’s voice came through much to Reyna’s relief. “My position has been compromised. I will have to…-“

“Return to the aircraft. Now!” Reyna ordered, halting her speech for a second to shoot the guards that she had blinded with her _Leer_. “Viper and I will find our own way out. Where is Sova?”

“We will not leave without you!” Sova finally spoke up, making it known that he was still alive.

“Sova, rendezvous with Sage. Return to the aircraft and secure the area surrounding the landing space. We’ll meet you both there.”

Despite feeling reluctant with the command, Sova complied. Arguing will get them nowhere after all. “...Alright. We will await your return.”

Reyna then looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with Viper. “I don’t suppose you have a spare mask?”

Viper’s eyes narrowed, wordlessly questioning Reyna what she wanted her to do.

“I’m not asking one for myself.” Reyna nodded towards Killjoy. “It’s for her.”

“Wait, you two are seriously not thinking…” Killjoy trailed off with her words, realizing what Reyna was prompting Viper to do. “You aren’t seriously _considering_ the idea, are you?”

Without Sage’s assistance in navigation and dozens of well-trained and armed soldiers ready to bombard them with bullets and explosives ahead of them, Viper knew drastic measures needed to be taken if they wished to get out of the facility alive.

“Fine.” Viper finally said, setting Killjoy down before waving Reyna off. “Clear the path ahead as much as you can. Contact me if you get pinned down.”

“You better hurry, then.” Reyna said to them before she ran off, practically going on a rampage as she activated _Empress_ and gunned down each and every individual that attempted stopping her.

“S-…!” Killjoy stopped herself before she could say the scientist’s real name out loud. “Viper, seriously, you can’t do this. You only have one mask!”

“Which is why you must wear it.”

A nearly soundless hiss emitted from the mask as she removed it from herself, strapping it across Killjoy’s face before the latter could utter any more objections. Viper moved with the fleeting pace of an actual snake, pocketing Killjoy’s eyeglasses before her hands quickly bundled Killjoy’s long hair under her beanie before she activated the mask’s full cover.

Killjoy blinked back at the green tinted lenses that greeted her vision. Though her words were somewhat muffled underneath the mask, she still tried reasoning with Viper, who unfortunately would have none of it.

“Breathe for me, _maus_.” Was what Viper murmured, shockingly planting a quick but meaningful kiss over the mask before she grabbed Killjoy again and slung her over her back again.

Viper shouted for her to hold on and Killjoy was quick to rewrap her arms around her shoulders, hooking her legs on Viper’s hips to save the scientist the hassle in handling her with her own hands. Once she saw Viper’s gloves begin glowing at the revelation of the exhausts, she bit down on her lip hard.

This may be the only way of getting out of enemy territory, but that didn’t mean Killjoy approved of the method itself.

Upon reaching the end of the path, Reyna’s voice rang out in Viper’s earpiece.

“Viper, _now_!”

In a flash, Killjoy’s vision was abruptly fogged with a thick green mist, the mask’s lenses lighting up and providing her some type of thermal vision. Choked screams and agonized cries echoed around them as the enemies’ health decayed massively. They either fell down immediately, writhed in pain as their throats constricted or yelled for mercy neither of the agents were willing to give.

Within the chaos commencing around them, Killjoy was able to spot Reyna easily weaving through convulsing enemies in her intangible form, the glow in her chest and eyes and the coursing violet outline being the only thing visible of her.

Killjoy wasn’t sure how long they were running through the poisonous mist Viper created around them, but once she realized the thermal vision deactivated, they were sprinting through the forest already. Though there was no green smoke around anymore, she could still hear the sound of constricted panting. She couldn't seem to pinpoint where it was coming from though due to the distant screams and loud rustling of nature filling her sense of hearing.

“Everyone, inside! Quickly!” She heard Sova call out, causing her to look ahead and spot the Russian agent frantically ushering them to board the aircraft while he covered them.

Reyna reverted back to her human form, immediately joining Sage at the cockpit as their aircraft began to take off. Sova closed the hatch as soon as Viper got in, calling out to the two pilots and telling them to make haste with the departure.

"You can put me…-" Killjoy gave an audible yelp when Viper and her suddenly crashed down on the steel floor of the aircraft, causing Sova to place his bow down and scramble towards them.

Killjoy hastily removed herself from Viper, who groaned quietly beneath her. As soon as she scampered off the woman, that's when she finally discerned where the labored breathing was originating from.

"Sabine? Sabine, are you alright?" Killjoy queried worriedly, pulling Viper on her lap to see what was wrong. Unfortunately for her, Viper rolled away and forced herself to stand up, shaking her head when they tried catching ahold of her.

"Don't…! Just don't…" Viper grunted out, harshly pushing Sova's hand away before she stumbled to the farthest part of the aircraft. In a somewhat hoarse voice, she said with much difficulty, "Watch over her. I can take care of myself."

Each and every one of them, especially Sova and Sage, were more than aware of Viper's immunity to poison, but the woman herself had previously mentioned to them that it usually took a while for her system to adapt to a different type of poison. Whenever it did though, she told them it was a slow and agonizing process.

Judging from the lack of explanation they gave to Killjoy, it seemed that they had both agreed that it wasn’t exactly reassuring to say.

Sova eventually nodded, knowing Viper would only fight him if he helped _her_ instead of Killjoy. He bent down again, helping the young agent get settled on one of the seats.

It took a moment, but Sova was able to remove Viper's mask from Killjoy, who showed a concerned face as she looked over the archer's shoulder just to see Viper doing breathing exercises.

"Is that normal?" Killjoy asked, her worries reflecting in her voice and facial expression as she continued to watch Viper from a fair distance away.

Sova looked over to where the scientist was before he sighed. "In a way, it is."

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just, just don’t worry about her.” Sova said, placing his hands on Killjoy’s shoulders and offering a reassuring look. “Rest assured that she will be fine.”

“But the poison, Sova.” Killjoy said, grabbing the mask hanging around her neck and shaking it before the man. “She wears _this_ for a reason.”

“I know she does. We all do, but right now, we need to have Sage look at you.”

“Have Sabine checked out first!”

“Sova,” Came Sage’s gentle voice, notifying them that the healer had left her place at the cockpit and was already standing behind the archer. “let me. Go and see if Reyna needs your assistance.”

“Right away.” Sova offered Killjoy one last look of reassurance before he got up and went to occupy the co-pilot seat.

Sage situated herself in front of Killjoy, crouching before she took one of her healing orbs. Only when she took Killjoy’s hands did the latter realize her palms were sporting minor burns. It was highly likely the reason why Viper looked immensely incensed when she had caught sight of her hands.

“Did you suffer any falls?” Sage asked, eyes scanning Killjoy for any more injuries. Her hands were already healing, the orb’s power she had imparted to it reverting the skin back to its initial state.

“I was thrown back after the second electrocution.” Killjoy said, glancing at Viper every now and then. “Hit my head and, well, broke my glasses.”

Sage gave a delicate sigh as she shook her head and produced another healing orb, transmitting its healing capabilities around Killjoy’s head. “Any more injuries? Any pain you might be feeling right now?”

Killjoy felt like it was so wrong that Sage was fretting over her instead of Viper, who was still struggling with her breathing at the side. Nonetheless, the sooner she got this examination over with, the sooner she could rush to Viper’s side.

“I… guess I’m feeling a little in my chest.”

Sage nodded, taking the third healing orb out and channeling its healing into her torso. Admittedly, the wave of relief that abruptly washed over was immensely soothing. “Any possible abdominal pains? Shortness of breath maybe?”

Killjoy shook her head. “I think I’m fine now, Sage. You should check on Viper.”

“Oh…” Sage’s lips curled in a small frown, sparing a look over to where the scientist was before she shook her head. “I know it might seem like we don’t care about Viper’s state, but believe me, _ai ren_ , I am not capable of helping her when she’s in that state.” _(ai ren - honey/sweetheart)_

“What state?”

“She’s… _adapting_. It’s her _Radiant_ _ability_.”

“I thought she was immune to poison.”

“She is, but it’s a process for her. Especially since whatever poison she had used this time, it’s different from the ones she’s already invulnerable to.”

Killjoy’s crestfallen eyes caused Sage to look away, knowing she couldn’t fully reassure her with her words. “...Is she in pain?”

 _‘She is.’_ Sage thought, her frown threatening to deepen. She cleared her throat and chose to say, “She’ll be alright, so don’t worry too much.”

The moment Sage stood up and returned to where Sova and Reyna could be found, Killjoy immediately stood up. Even though the healing Sage had given her, specifically the one that was relieving the chest pain and mild headache she was experiencing, were still in the process of fully taking effect, it didn’t stop her from getting up and hastily approaching Viper.

“Sabine,” Killjoy uttered the agent’s name the second she kneeled in front of her, her hands covering one of Viper’s while its twin was covering the latter’s eyes. “are you okay?”

A deep sigh. There was no immediate reply, but that didn’t prompt Killjoy in leaving. She stayed and waited anxiously for a proper response. Her worry grew gradually, especially when she felt Viper’s hand significantly twitch under her palms. It was much worse than normal.

“Sabine, please talk to me.”

“...I’m fine.” Viper eventually replied, keeping her head bowed and gaze nowhere near capturable until she raised her head and lifted both her hands to cup Killjoy’s face. As russet brown met emerald green, Killjoy felt her heart skip a beat at the concern gleaming in the eyes that stared into hers.

She probably would’ve celebrated the sight of it if it wasn’t accompanied with hints of pain. Not only that, but she noticed how Viper was pursing her lips, which seemed to be trembling whenever she relaxed it.

“The mask kept you safe, didn’t it?” Viper asked, her difficulty in doing so showing in her eyes despite her efforts in maintaining a neutral expression. “You weren’t poisoned?”

Killjoy shook her head. “I’m absolutely fine, Sabine. Sage already took care of my injuries.”

“Your hands…” Viper released her and lowered her gaze, taking Killjoy’s hands into her shaky ones. A relieved gleam briefly yet visibly crossed her face, making it clear she was thankful that there were no more burn marks.

“Sabine…”

Viper sighed again, reconnecting their gazes with one another as she said, “Don’t concern yourself with my state, _maus_. Slowly but surely, I’m adjusting.”

“I could’ve held my breath. You didn’t have to give me your mask.”

“Did you really think that was an option?”

“Did _you_ really think about what you did? The toxin you used was different than normal, wasn’t it?” Killjoy frowned. “I know you said you’re immune to it, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to abuse that advantage of yours.”

“What’s the use of having an advantage if I don’t utilize its uses?”

“I _could’ve_ held my breath, Sabine!” Killjoy repeated her point. “Neither of us would’ve been in that situation if I initially listened to Omen and actually retreated instead of trying to complete the mission. And because of my own doing, you have to go through with _this_.”

Instead of furthering the argument growing between them, Viper merely gave a quiet sigh before she pulled Killjoy in, crashing her lips against hers. The abrupt kiss caught the German by complete surprise. She could feel Viper’s lips tremble against hers as she coaxed her to reciprocate.

The kiss had so much potential in growing deeper, but before it could entirely, Viper retracted and ended the act. This left Killjoy to stare back at her, still in a mild state of shock at the affectionate gesture. Even though their three fellow agents weren’t looking, Viper never did kiss Killjoy outside their quarters.

“No one can hold their breath forever.” Viper murmured, fixing the beanie that was so close in falling off Killjoy’s head. “And I wasn’t willing to have you risk it.”

****xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx** **

Brimstone stood there at the hangar of VALORANT headquarters with an expectant expression as he, Cypher and Jett watched as an allied aircraft approached their location. He and the two rushed off to meet them at the landing space once Sova radioed and informed them of their arrival.

While the older agent was there to see first if the mission was a success, Jett was present to make sure Sage returned safely from the extraction operation. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a bit assured that the healer would be safe since Reyna was there to protect her. That, and Sova’s skills and capabilities were nothing to scoff at.

As for Cypher, well…

“I leave for a little intel-gathering and I miss out on so much already.” He commented while he idly fiddled with one of his tripwires in between his fingers.

“Aside from Jett and Reyna’s competitive scuffles, the only thing you missed was Killjoy’s capture.” Brimstone said with a half-hearted roll of his eyes.

“Do you think Sage even notices the things I do?” Jett queried, gaze focused on the nearing aircraft.

“I’m sure she does.” Cypher replied. “We all know what happens when you underestimate your fellow agents.”

“I’m not underestimating her, alright? I’ve just been thinking.” Jett said in a murmur. “Maybe I should just confess to her.”

“Didn’t our superiors say to keep things professional in our circle?” Cypher asked generally to himself, tapping his tripwire against his chin for a moment. “Say, Brimstone, do you have any intention in enforcing that?”

Brimstone scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s suicide and you know it. It’s like you’re telling me you want Viper to poison me in my sleep while Reyna and Jett here would probably shoot me in my sleep.”

“I’d throw a knife at you, does that count?” Jett quipped with an innocent look, causing Cypher to snicker while Brimstone flashed his middle finger at her. “I’m just being honest.”

Their conversation eventually came to an end as the plane aircraft landed before them, its hatch hissing as it opened and lowered, unveiling five agents that looked like they’ve been through Hell and back.

Brimstone ushered Sova to accompany him, but he didn’t leave without looking at the others and saying, “I want your reports ready tomorrow when I debrief you. For now, go and get some rest. You all deserve it.”

Cypher was about to follow after Brimstone and Sova when a hand abruptly grabbed his shoulder, prompting him to turn and find Viper, who held out a pair of familiar eyeglasses.

“Think you’ll be able to fix this?” Viper asked, glancing at where Killjoy was standing.

“Heh, easy.” Cypher took the glasses and pocketed the accessory. “Shall I give her the finished product or…?”

“Drop it off at my lab once you’re done.”

Cypher hummed and nodded before he turned away and trailed after Sova and Brimstone.

Killjoy, who was told by Viper to stay where she was, finally approached the scientist, clearly not seeing the entire exchange. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing.” Viper replied with her usual tone. The pain and the whole trembling thing going on with her had somewhat subsided, but not completely. It was much bearable now, so she was capable of acting like her usual self again. “Come on, I’ll need to sanitize you.”

Killjoy’s eyes widened. “Sanitize? Me?”

“Though you were wearing my mask, the rest of you was still exposed to the poison. I don’t want to risk any sort of mutation or other side-effect it might inflict on you.”

“How do you plan on sanitizing me, then?” Killjoy momentarily thought of the movie she had watched a few weeks ago, where this mad scientist had shaved their victim’s hair and threw her in a tub full of liquid that was supposed to _‘sanitize’_ her.

Viper sighed in slight exasperation. “It’s nothing alike to what you see in those films you watched, that’s for sure. Now come. We’re wasting time.”

“Right…”

Meanwhile, with the trio at the side…

“Oh good!” Jett quickly hugged Sage, who chuckled and returned the embrace. “You’re okay, right? No injuries? No wounds?”

“I’m fine, Jett. A bit exhausted, but completely unscathed.”

“Good.”

“Jett,” Reyna spoke up, sounding like she purred out the duelist’s name. “may I speak with you for a moment? Sage here might need a little time for herself.”

While Jett narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the Mexican woman, Sage’s cheeks flushed red. The healer coughed to herself and said, “Reyna’s right. I… I need to go, _ahem_ , replenish my supply of healing orbs. I’ll be at my lab if anyone needs me.”

Jett frowned and was somewhat forced to say goodbye to Sage so soon, who made her exit quite swiftly, leaving the former with the mischievous vixen. Crossing her arms, she eyed Reyna with a scrutinizing gaze as she tapped her foot on the floor impatiently.

“What do you want, Reyna?

“Actually, the more accurate question here is, what do _we_ want, Jett, hmm?”

“What do you mean?”

“You see,” Reyna draped an arm around her fellow duelist’s shoulder, leading her out of the hangar as they conversed. “I spoke to Sage and long story short, I discovered the reason why our _efforts_ seem to be in vain.”

Skepticism became crystal clear on Jett’s face, but nonetheless, she said, “Go on…”

“To save you the boring details, I’ll be blunt. Sage likes the _both of us_.”

One blink.

Two blinks.

Three blinks.

“…What?”

“It’s the reason why she hasn’t been acknowledging our endeavors.” Reyna said with a dramatic sigh. “Recently though, when Sage and I conversed with one another, I came up with a proposal.”

Jett narrowed her eyes again. “What proposal?”

“Oh don’t fret, you’re included in it.” Reyna riposted, rolling her eyes. “Sage has no intention in choosing either of us, probably to prevent any more spats between you and me.”

“That’s not exactly a proposal.” Jett deadpanned, earning a sweet smile from the other agent.

“I know. I was getting to that. _Ahem._ As I was saying, I asked Sage if she’d be willing to involve herself in a _polygamous_ relationship with none other than you and I.”

Once again, Jett’s eyes widened. Of all things she predicted she’ll hear, that was the last thing she ever thought Sage would consider. Despite Reyna being a rival of hers when it came to the sentinel’s heart, she knew the woman wouldn’t just say this for the heck of it. Besides, Reyna was as possessive as Jett herself could be, so this was most likely the only solution she came up with that involved capturing Sage in a commitment.

“This is where this whole talk of ours comes in.” Reyna halted their walk, turning them both until they were facing one another. “Sage is probably at her lab right now, contemplating if saying yes to this proposal of mine is worth agreeing to. Now, while she ponders the possibilities, I want to know _your_ thoughts on this.”

“You… want me to say yes to this, don’t you?”

“Well, I don’t exactly like the idea of sharing _mi corazón_ with someone else, but it’s much better to have her than not at all, no?” _(mi corazón – my heart)_

Jett made a face, lips curled in distaste. Even though she so badly wanted to have Sage all to herself, if what Reyna said was true, then that meant she couldn’t even call Sage hers unless she concurred with the aforementioned proposal.

“Well, _querida_ , what do you say?” _(querida – honey)_

****xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx** **

The windows and the main lab door covered with the thick automated blackout blinds, the entire room was obscured from any possible passersby that would walk by out on the hallway. Due to the laboratory itself being soundproof, no one could even hear what’s going on inside and what the two agents were saying to one another.

Viper dumped Killjoy’s clothes into a bin, which she intended on going through a different sanitization process, before turning to the techie, who was literally standing before her in her underwear. She quirked an eyebrow, eyeing the other up and down for a moment.

“I said, _everything_.” Viper emphasized, gaze flicking down to the remaining garments.

“Oh come on, Sabine. This is embarrassing.” Killjoy muttered, feeling all too exposed with how bright the lights were in the lab. “Are you really sure no one can see through those blinds?”

Viper rolled her eyes. “Trust me, Cypher and I designed those blinds ourselves. Now strip out of your clothes.”

“I already did!”

“ _Including_ your underwear.”

Killjoy scrunched her face up, skeptically eyeing Viper. “Are you sure you just don’t want to see me naked?”

“Are you sure you’re not just delaying because you actually like me staring at you like this?”

“Hey, don’t turn the tables on me! I just returned from being captured!”

“And I nearly suffocated from my own poison just to save you. We’re even.”

“Can’t you at least dim the lights a bit?” Killjoy flimsily requested, nodding towards one of the switches at the side.

“I’ve seen, touched, licked, sucked and bitten your body far too many times to keep count and now you’re acting as if this is the first time I’ll be seeing you naked.”

Killjoy’s cheeks flushed brightly at that statement. Did Viper really need to be so specific with everything she had done? Maybe, but all that did was embarrass her even more.

“I-I know that!” Killjoy snapped back, glaring at Viper, who looked wholly unamused. “It’s just that when we usually do _it_ , the lights are either dimmed or turned off completely.”

“It’s a shame, really.”

“You are _not_ helping your case here.”

Viper exasperatedly sighed. “Either you take them off now, or I rip them off myself. Take your pick.”

Judging from her tone and expression, it’s obvious she meant the threat she gave. It left Killjoy no choice but to huff and mutter something about Viper taking advantage of her and the situation in general as she finally relented and started stripping off her remaining clothes.

“Here.” She grumbled, placing them on Viper’s outstretched hand.

“Finally.” Viper mumbled, rolling her eyes before she turned away and tossed the underwear in the same bin where the other clothes were discarded.

Killjoy stood there on the slightly elevated encasement, looking at Viper with a half-hearted glare, a mildly reddened face and a stiff posture. The lights around her and the brightness originating from above and underneath the capsule-like case made her feel as if they were spotlights directed at her, while Viper was that one lone audience member that had the pleasure of seeing the sight she was displaying.

“What now?”

“Stay there.” Viper said before she grabbed the surgical gown at the side, slipping it on along with a pair of clear goggles before replacing her mechanical gloves with the rubber type.

Killjoy had to stop herself from fidgeting as she watched Sabine grab a thin hose and connected it to a tank she had initially rolled in earlier from the storage part of her lab. She stepped up to the platform, the nozzle of the hose in hand.

“You’re going to hose me down?” Killjoy questioned with wide eyes.

“It’s not in full setting, so it won’t hurt.”

“Why don’t _you_ sanitize yourself first before me!?”

Viper stared back at her with a deadpan expression. “I’ve already grown immune to the toxin. Breathing it in again is like inhaling oxygen for me. You on the other hand…”

“Why do I suddenly feel like an animal about to get sprayed at for doing something bad?”

“You _did_ disobey Omen’s orders.” Viper muttered, mainly to herself. “Regardless, the longer we wait, the greater the chance of a possible conflict or mutation in your system. Now, here. Wear this.”

Killjoy took the goggles Viper handed her, staring back at her with a pleading look. Unfortunately for her, the scientist only ushered her to put the protective wear on or else she was going to spray her with whatever it was inside the tank with or without it on.

“There. Happy?”

Viper’s smirk showed before she covered it with her surgical mask, raising the nozzle before she said, “Very.”

Killjoy yelped at the cool slime-like liquid that splashed at her body, a shudder going through her whole body the second it touched her bare body. Even her hair wasn’t safe from the clear goo Viper was dousing her with. She was turned and moved by one hand, while the other changed its spraying position every now and then.

“Why does it feel like I’m covered in vomit? _Fresh_ vomit.” Killjoy spoke up when Viper spun her around and sprayed her back with the sanitizing liquid.

“I don’t even want to know why you’re so certain this feels like fresh vomit.” Viper mentioned from behind her.

A little snapback was what Killjoy intended to say, but she suddenly yelped when she felt Viper grope one of her buttocks. She jumped, hitting the hard glass in front of her before she quickly turned around and faced Viper, who just raised an eyebrow at her.

“What the hell was that about!?”

Viper tilted her head slightly. “What was what about?”

“You literally grabbed my _arsch_!” _(arsch – ass)_

“It isn’t the first time I did.” Viper said with a roll of her eyes. “And you wouldn’t move. What I did merely gave you a little push.”

Killjoy exaggeratedly narrowed her eyes at Viper, giving her an _‘I’m watching you’_ gesture. The agent scoffed and shook her head, stepping back and putting the hose down. She went to the control panel connected to the encasement, removing the gloves she was wearing before she started pushing a couple of buttons.

The case slid close, trapping Killjoy inside and leaving her no choice but to just watch Viper proceed with the next step of sanitization.

“Is this the part where you drown me with water or something?” She asked, shaking off some of the slimy substance blanketing her arms.

“You exaggerate too much, _maus_.” Viper then peeled her mask off, making sure Killjoy caught sight of the mischievous smirk on her face as she said, “It’s only a cold shower.”

It was more than _just_ a cold shower. The water that suddenly rained down on Killjoy was as _frigid_ as ice itself. She yelped again and almost hit her head on the top of the encasement when she jumped at what felt like frosty water showering down on her.

As quick as it had come, the icy water eventually stopped. The low hiss of the encasement telling her that it was now open again. The goggles on her face were removed by none other than Viper herself, who helped her in a plain white bathrobe.

Once she was somewhat decent, Killjoy let Viper assist her out of the case and off the platform. She was led to where the couch was, where Viper had her settle before leaving to rid herself of the medical equipment she was donning.

Killjoy shivered, hugging herself as she waited for Viper to come back. As much as she hated the whole sanitization process, she knew the scientist was only looking out for her health. She couldn’t really be mad.

In fact, she actually felt a little warm on the inside. So many things have happened recently, and most of them were vastly unexpected.

Viper not only was part of the extraction team sent to retrieve her, but she had also made efforts and sacrifices Killjoy did not foresee at all. Not to mention the little kiss she had given her once she had put the mask on her when they were back at enemy territory.

Even though her lips didn’t touch Viper’s at the time, it made her feel all warm and fuzzy with how Viper uttered the words she had said.

****_“Breathe for me, maus.”_ ** **

As if that line and kiss alone wasn’t enough, they also shared a rather passionate exchange at the plane. Killjoy saw how much Viper actually cared about her. She definitely wasn’t straightforward with her feelings, but her actions definitely spoke louder.

Once she heard quiet footsteps, Killjoy raised her head to face Viper. She expected to see the scientist in her battle suit, which she was initially clad in. But, much to her surprise, Viper changed her outfit.

A pair of plain army boots, dark green loose pants and a blank tank top, it was probably the most casual set of attire Killjoy has ever seen Viper wear outside her quarters. She was always wearing either a professional-looking lab attire or her mission suit whenever she was out and about, so this was certainly a welcomed sight.

“You can change into these while your clothes are being sanitized.” Viper said, placing a small pile of folded clothes similar to what she was wearing on the coffee table in front of her.

“Wow…” Killjoy reacted, unintentionally disregarding the provided garments. “You look… incredible.”

Viper raised an eyebrow, looking down to herself for a moment before she plopped down beside Killjoy. “I don’t see what’s so incredible about these clothes.”

“Remember what I said about you wearing a lab coat makes you look great?”

“You mean how my rump looks great in it?”

“Same thing.” Killjoy quickly said in a dismissive tone. “It’s kind of similar to _that_.”

“Is this your way of flattering me, so I won’t lecture you for disobeying orders?”

“I’m complimenting you. Genuinely, if I may clarify.”

Killjoy then pursed her lips as she continued to stare at Viper, who returned it with a quirked eyebrow yet again.

“Yes?” Viper queried with a tilt of her head, tapping her fingers on her knees. Clearly, Killjoy had something to say.

“I just really want to cuddle with you right now.”

When Viper merely stared back at her without uttering an immediate verbal reply, Killjoy was already prepared to hear another one of those indirect rejections. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time Viper refused her desire for a little affection.

Much to the German’s absolute shock, Viper opened one arm, ushering her once to come close.

Killjoy had this cute, stupid grin on her face as she hurriedly scooted close, laying herself on Viper’s lap and sighing in complete contentment as she gazed at Viper’s face.

“Better?” Viper eventually asked, draping her hand over Killjoy’s chest.

The techie nodded. “Very much.”

“Good.”

Viper shifted, making herself comfortable before laying her head back and closing her eyes, fingers delicately tapping over Killjoy’s beating heart. The latter continued to admire Viper’s face, smiling to herself as she relished the feeling of Viper being the warm one between the two of them.

“Sabine?”

“Hmm?” Viper responded back, eyes remaining closed.

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

“It was a team effort. Wouldn’t have done so without the others.”

“What I mean to say is that you didn’t have to come, but you did.”

“Brimstone sent me.”

“Yes, but you could’ve declined. It wouldn’t be the first time you rejected a mission.”

A moment of silence fleeted between them before Viper spoke up again.

“Just because I don’t show it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

“Really?”

“Mmm.”

…..

…..

…..

Killjoy abruptly sat up, gaze snapping back to Viper and jaw practically dropping on the couch. “Wait, what!?”

Viper reopened her eyes, eyebrows furrowing at the stupefied look on her company’s face. “What?”

“You love me!?”

Viper stared back at her with a perplexed expression, but then it clicked in her head. What she had indeed said to Killjoy, which was totally a slip from her part. She scowled and literally lied through her teeth with, “I said _‘like’_ , not _‘love’_!”

“No way! You totally said you love me!” A wide grin was now on Killjoy’s face and it was taking a huge effort for her to stop herself from just closing in and kissing Viper right then and there.

“Shut up or I’ll sanitize you again!” Viper threatened, albeit weakly compared to her usual threats.

“I’d honestly put up with dozens of sanitization if it means I’ll hear you say that again!”

“I told you, I didn’t…-“

Killjoy pulled Viper in a tight embrace, planting a kiss on her cheek as she did. “I love you, too, Sabine!”

For what seemed to be the first time in their relationship. Viper was the one who was bright red and speechless. Killjoy hummed cheerfully, feeling massively excited as she refused to release her red-faced scientist.

“Can I hear you say it again? Please?”

All Killjoy got was a low snarl, and instead of scaring her off, it only widened her grin.

“I absolutely love it when you…-“

“I love you.”

Killjoy fell into a state of surprise yet again, hearing those three words with _crystal clarity_ as Viper uttered them in a whisper-like manner. When she pulled back and made eye contact, Viper half-heartedly glared at her, face still tinted with a red hue.

“That’s the last time you’re ever going to hear that from me, so don’t bother asking me to…-“

“You will _definitely_ say that again. But all that matters right now is that I love you, too.”

Once again, she embraced Viper, but this time the action was finally reciprocated. She squeezed the woman a little, smiling to herself as she buried her face against the side of the scientist’s neck.

“I could stay like this forever.”

…..

…..

…..

****_Grumble!_ ** **

Now it was Killjoy’s turn to blush in embarrassment yet again.

“Looks like your stomach doesn’t share the same opinion.”

_‘Scheisse!’_

****xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Well, here’s the second part that was inspired out of me by none other than the NanoBite fan arts I saw on Twitter. Did NOT expect this to reach 11,300+ words! xD 
> 
> I hope you peeps liked this story as much as I did in typing it! It was honestly a lot of fun. :3
> 
> Now, as for those who are wondering why I chose to pair Sage with both Reyna and Jett, that’s all because of the poll I held in my Twitter profile. Follow/Check me there to participate in any future polls or see any possible sneak peeks I release about my stories. ^u^
> 
> The third part may either center on Viper x Killjoy, Reyna x Sage x Jett, or both, but uh, I don’t really know when I’ll be inspired again. Hopefully sooner than later! Drop any of your suggestions in the comments if there’s a particular scene you want to see that involves the pairings in this story. If you want, you can even message me directly!
> 
> Anyway, till my next update~


	3. Icy Intel

**Icy Intel** _(Continuation to_ _ **“Risks and Sacrifices”**_ _)_

Sky gradually brightening, the day hasn't officially begun yet for some others, for most people in the VALORANT headquarters were still sound asleep. While the evening patrols were roaming and were looking forward to the end of their shift, one particular agent was wide awake in their quarters.

Lights dim nearly to black and the only bright illumination originating from the digital holographic clock being projected by the alarm mounted on the wall above the bunk-like bed, Viper was laying on her side and absently staring at the displayed time.

The habit of waking up early was a hard one to break. She could take this opportunity to just start her day early like the usual, but the one stopping her was the arms embracing her from behind. A look over her shoulder and there she was, her little _maus_ sleeping soundly to herself while she treated Viper as her personal teddy bear.

The thought of being a stuffed toy made to be hugged was something Viper wanted to scoff at. She would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy the warmth that came with Killjoy's warm embraces.

Instead of trying to squirm away from her bedmate's clutches, Viper just glanced over to the open shelf compartment in the wall, where Killjoy's new eyeglasses were settled.

Cypher had given the eyewear to Viper a couple of days ago after she returned it to him when he got the shape wrong. The Moroccan suggested that square-shaped glasses would've made Killjoy look more mature and professional, but surprisingly, Viper didn't concur with his point.

Instead of being offended by her criticism towards the initial glasses he made, Cypher merely chuckled to himself and retook the eyewear, promising Viper that he'll make an exact replica of Killjoy's original specs.

Taking the glasses with one of her hands, Viper examined the item as she recalled how Killjoy reacted when she gave it to her.

_A couple of German cusses slipped out of Killjoy's lips as she worked on her turret, muttering complaints towards her lack of clear vision. She couldn't find her spare pair, so she was left to settle on working on her bots by literally keeping a close eye on them._

_There were two couches in her lab and a few stools here and there, but Killjoy seemed to prefer the floor over any of the mentioned seats. Situated on the floor in a pair of baggy pants and a knitted high-neck tank top, Killjoy was practically hugging her turret as she worked on adding a more advance enemy sensor._

_The murmured curse words were drowned out by the music blasting in the headphones she was wearing, the music playing through it deafening her to the point that she didn't even notice her lab's door hiss as it opened for the scientist that strode in._

_Today was one of those days Viper had the uncommon free week off. No missions assigned, no reports to be written and no Spikes to be planted, nor defused. She would've spent the day in her own lab to be productive like how she normally chose to do, but she had just acquired Killjoy's new eyeglasses from Cypher._

_The latter had even made a little jest about her current attire for today. Dark green blouse, black pencil skirt and a pair of black stilettos, her outfit was pretty simple, even when she paired it with a white lab coat. Cypher though, he mentioned how it was the perfect day for Viper to give Killjoy her glasses._

_Whenever Viper wore skirts, Killjoy was either out on a mission or had just returned from one the night before, which meant she was asleep throughout the day and always ended up missing the sight the scientist provided._

_The click-clack of the heels went unnoticed thanks to the headphones Killjoy had on. Behind her, Viper stopped, raising an eyebrow as she watched the techie switch from being frustrated with her bot to entertained with her music every moment or two._

_Amusing the sight may be, Viper chose to walk around and stand right beside Killjoy, who finally stopped bopping her head with her music and finally took notice of the long legs less than an arm's length from where she was._

_Her eyes widened slightly, feeling like her vision cleared up for a brief moment as she ran her gaze over the legs clad with a black pantyhose. When her eyes finally reached the very top, Killjoy literally jumped back in surprise. The turret toppled over and fell at the side, while she sat there on the floor, legs slightly sprawled open and hands acting as her stand and preventing her from falling on her back._

_"S-S-Sabine!?" Killjoy outright stuttered, her eyes flicking up and down over Viper's body. She was clearly not expecting to see the woman in this type of attire. "W-What're you doing here? In my lab, I mean."_

_Viper felt awfully smug at the reaction Killjoy provided, but externally, she maintained her usual composure and merely offered the case containing the aforementioned eyewear. "This belongs to you."_

_Killjoy eyed the case with mild curiosity before she got up on her feet, taking it from Viper and thanking her in a murmur as she tried her hardest not to let her gaze linger on Viper's legs. Of course when she opened the case, a wave of relief washed over her and an excited look crossed her features. "My glasses!"_

_"I had Cypher replicate your old ones."_

_"Wait, was that the whole thing between you two was all about?"_

_Viper nodded. "Seeing that you're having a difficult time in working on your equipment, I figured now is the best time to deliver them to you."_

_Killjoy smiled. "_ _**Danke schoen** _ _, Sabine." (_ _**Danke schoen** _ _-_ _**Thank you very much** _ _)_

_"Hmm."_

_"But, umm..." Killjoy spoke up before Viper could turn away and make her exit. She flimsily gestured at the scientist, her eyes glancing down at her outfit. "What's with the getup?"_

_"Getup?" Viper queried back, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something unusual with my current attire?"_

_Killjoy instantly shook her head. "No, no, no! I just didn't think you liked wearing skirts, that's all."_

_Viper crossed her arms, eyeing Killjoy with a mildly narrowed look as she shifted her weight on one leg. "Do you have a problem with it?"_

_Again, Killjoy shook her head. "Absolutely not!"_

_"Then how dare you refer to my attire as a_ _**'getup'** _ _, hmm?"_

_"I just didn't expect you to look like this. Honest." Killjoy said, slipping her new glasses on. When she raised her head again, she uttered a stunned, "Whoa."_

_Viper quirked an eyebrow again. "What is it now?"_

_"Now that I have my glasses on, you suddenly looked even more gorgeous." Killjoy said, the tone in her voice clearly indicating that she was certainly not lying._

_Instead of rolling her eyes like she usually did whenever Killjoy complimented her, Viper held back her smirk as she murmured, "Are you fond of... tearing things?"_

_Confused with the unusual question, Killjoy asked, "What do you mean?"_

_"Well, I have many spares to replace the one I'm wearing," Viper then leaned in and with that ever-seducing husky whisper of hers, she said, "so I wouldn't mind if you tear it later."_

_Eyes widening and mouth dropping open, Killjoy momentarily stared back as Viper stepped back and finally flashed her smirk at her before turning around and heading towards the door._

_"That is, if you're free and eager,_ _**maus** _ _."_

_Needless to say, Killjoy didn't exactly wait for the end of the day. Apparently, tearing the pantyhose upon their arrival at Viper's lab was in the list of unmentioned options._

Viper returned the glasses to the shelf, staying in the position of facing Killjoy as the latter's arms still seemed to show no signs of releasing her. She audited the techie's facial features in silence, thinking of the possible reasons she's willing to believe and might thoroughly explain why this woman with her was so determined in committing herself to her.

Then again, she couldn't even pinpoint why out of everyone called in for the VALORANT Protocol, she ended up being involved with someone as loud and outgoing as Killjoy. Yes, they may both be deemed absolute geniuses of their time, but other than the vast extent of their knowledge, Viper couldn't seem to comprehend the reason behind her interest towards the tech-whiz.

Sighing quietly, Viper scooted closer and buried her face in Killjoy's chest. She closed her eyes and was just about to make an attempt in getting a few more hours of sleep when the arms around her abruptly squeezed her and a familiar voice spoke up all of a sudden.

"I knew you love cuddling."

An exasperated sigh immediately left the scientist's lips as she rolled and slipped away from Killjoy's arms, disregarding the German's whines of protest. "I'm leaving."

"Oh come on, Sabine. It was just a little joke." Killjoy said, trying to pull Viper back on the bed.

"Hmm."

Watching Viper vacate the bed made Killjoy pout. As much as she wanted to chase after Viper, she knew she'd probably just get kicked out of the quarters if she continued to insist that they resume their cuddling.

The whole turnout didn't bring her down though. Killjoy grabbed Viper's pillow and hugged it, smiling at the scent her girlfriend left on it.

As she buried her face in the soft cushion, Killjoy missed the moment when Viper peeked from the bathroom, the corner of her lips twitching upward in the very slightest as she watched the tech expert give a muffled declaration of her feelings for her against the pillow.

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

Due to the early hour, Viper wasn't really surprised that Killjoy chose to stay in bed and sleep some more instead of accompanying her upon the start of her own day. Killjoy did offer to come along and force herself to finally get up if it meant they were going to have their breakfast so early, but Viper had claimed she was just going to work in her lab and would have her morning meal in a much later time.

Initially, that _was_ the plan, but the grumble of her stomach on her way to her laboratory wasn't really music to her ears. She opted to get at least a sandwich from the mess hall, deciding on just having a second breakfast once Killjoy wakes up again.

As much as it'd be easier to just say that she already ate, Viper valued the time she spends with Killjoy. She didn't want to admit it, mainly because of the habit she developed in remaining distant towards others, but she cherishes their relationship more than she usually let on.

Viper was very much certain Killjoy knew though. As if her saying _'I love you'_ to her, though indirect it was and dismissive it might have sounded, wasn't already a big clue.

Settled at one of the tables fairly separated from the ones occupied by some of the soldiers in the mess hall, Viper chewed on her grilled cheese sandwich while she idly watched the sun begin to rise from the horizon. The view the windows at the mess hall offered had always been better than most other parts in the facility.

"May I?"

Gaze fleeting away from the rising sun, Viper directed her focus on the woman standing across her. Out of everyone in the roster of the special agents of VALORANT, Viper was usually seen with either Omen, Cypher, occasionally with Reyna and of course, Killjoy.

So, it was certainly surprising that Sage wanted to sit with her.

Viper nodded once, glancing down at the vacant bench in front of her before returning her gaze back to the windows.

"Thank you."

It's not that she and Sage have any bad blood going on between them. It was just their specialties that contradicted one another. While Sage healed people to their full health and found ways to cure their illnesses, Viper poisoned them to death and concocted toxins that would cause their health to decay. Of course that didn't mean they hated each other.

Viper glanced at Sage when the woman sighed to herself. She noticed how the woman looked more exhausted rather than recharged, which she found a bit surprising since the day had literally just begun.

"Trouble?" Was her simple query, refocusing her attention to the healer.

Sage nodded. "You could say that."

"And you think I'm the one fit to be a listener of yours?"

"No. You're more like a cover for me rather than a conversation partner."

Viper raised an eyebrow. "A cover?"

Sage nodded again, but she glanced over to the soldiers a table or two away from them. "Not to be arrogant, but practically everyone knows I'm one of the most approachable in the list of Radiants here."

"And?"

"I overheard the new recruits discussing their plans on joining me for breakfast and asking a couple of questions about my abilities." Sage told her quietly. "As much as I want to welcome them and tend to their queries, I need a break, and sitting with you is close to being considered one."

"Ah, so I'm a repellent."

"Don't take it the wrong way."

"I don't." In fact, Viper was amused and a little impressed. Sage seemed to be aware of how the new recruits were always on their toes whenever she's around and she's taking full advantage of it. After all, she could easily poison them if she so desired to.

Like what was mentioned earlier, the only people brave enough to just casually join her and keep her company were the four aforementioned agents. No recruit was brave enough to come up to her and ask if she wanted their company.

"It's nice to scare the recruits every once and awhile." Viper murmured, smirking with mischief. "And I suppose it's also good to know I can be of use to my fellow agents."

Sage smiled at that, but it was more apologetic rather than out of humor. "I'm sorry this had to be the reason why we're having one of our few conversations."

Viper waved it off, shrugging. "It's not much of an issue. Though I do have a couple of questions of my own."

One person asking compared to a bunch doing such? Oh, Sage would choose the former any day.

"That much I can give." Sage said with a nod. "It's only fair, and honestly, I already have a hunch on what you want to discuss. Frankly, I see this as an opportunity to speak with someone who wouldn't pass judgment so rashly."

"Ah, you mean about your relationships?"

Sage nodded again, the exhausted look hinting its return in her eyes. "Yes. Exactly."

"How are you handling yourself?" Viper asked before following up with, "And I'm curious as to how the sleeping arrangements work, especially with the size of the beds in our quarters."

"To answer your first question, regardless of being in a relationship with two women, I feel like I'm handling myself fairly well." Sage replied with a small gesture of her spork. "Though I initially couldn't imagine myself being romantically committed to two individuals at the same time, I found that it's not as shameful as I envisioned it. Unorthodox, but not exactly immoral."

Viper half-heartedly shrugged at that, not really caring if it was shameful in the first place. She wasn't the type to judge, nor was there anything to judge in the first place anyway.

"As for sleeping arrangements, it was an issue initially, but not anymore."

"Sleeping schedule, then?" Viper mentioned with a small smirk. "If I may take a guess, I think you haven't been sleeping well."

"I am very much fine, Viper. Reyna and Jett are just... a handful."

"Each?"

Sage's cheeks colored at that. "Please, _don't_ go there. I don't think I'll be able to suppress myself from becoming a human tomato."

Viper chuckled. "Having any regrets?"

"Oh no, not a single one." Sage was quick but confident in uttering a reply to that. Upon realizing how proud she might have sounded, her cheeks reddened once again and a sheepish expression painted over her face. "It's just... unpredictably nice."

"Of course it is." Viper said in an unassuming tone, the little curve that appeared at the corner of her lips somehow flustering Sage and prompting her to feign a cough. "Speaking of that duo of lovers of yours, I'm surprised Jett isn't following behind you like a tail, or Reyna looming over you like some godforsaken demon."

"They're both out on a mission."

"Just the two of them?"

"They're with Omen."

"Sounds disastrous." Viper then lightly scoffed, shaking her head. "And pitiful, mainly on Omen's part."

Sage softly sighed, knowing all too well the possible bickering Reyna and Jett could be up to now. "What about you and Killjoy? How are you two?"

" _No._ " Was Viper's immediate and blatant response, face falling blank.

Instead of further pushing or being negatively affected by the outright refusal, Sage merely chuckled and shook her head. "She has brought life in you, Viper. It's not so bad to talk about it every once and a while."

Viper remained silent, but she didn't give Sage any glares or cold stares. She just returned her eyes to the view at the window, finishing her breakfast as a long and somewhat comfortable silence took over their conversation. It was enough for Sage to know that she was indeed correct.

"Ah! Sage, Viper, just the people I was looking for."

Both mentioned agents turned to the loud, booming voice of Breach, who approached them with a tray that carried two plates filled with breakfast good for two to three people.

For a moment, Viper thought about making a quick leave to avoid further social interaction, especially when she spotted the man's dog trailing behind him. But then again, Breach usually spoke to her whenever he wanted to ask about a mission, Killjoy's whereabouts or if she was still interested in letting him have a try in upgrading her gloves. She swore, Breach was almost like Killjoy in that last part.

Sighing, she chose to remain on her place and listen to what he had to say.

"Brim's looking for you two." Breach said, gesturing with his tray of food. "Said something about intel gathering."

"There aren't any scheduled missions today." Sage said mostly to herself, her expression showing that she was recalling the itinerary she had read yesterday.

"There weren't," Breach corrected with a small grin. " _but_ now the big guy says otherwise. Says it's urgent, so don't keep him waiting. I also heard his blood pressure is on the rise lately."

Sage tried hiding her little laugh behind her hand, giving Breach a look that told him to not make fun of Brimstone. Viper just sighed at the side, shaking her head as she pushed herself up to her feet.

"He's in the briefing room, I assume?"

"As usual." Breach replied with an affirmative nod. "Now if you'd excuse me and my friend right here, we have a lot of things to do."

"And food to devour." Sage lightly commented after giving Breach's dog a little pet on the head.

"Heh, you know it."

"Woof!"

The healer chose to discard her half-eaten breakfast before she left the mess hall with Viper, who surprisingly waited for her. They both arrived at the briefing room within a few minutes, and just in time to see Brimstone tapping away on the high-technology table at the center of the room.

At one of the seats, Sova and Cypher could be found conversing with one another while they waited for their arrival. The two turned to greet them with small waves and greetings, which Sage returned with the same gesture while Viper reciprocated with a single nod.

"Great, you're both here." Brimstone acknowledged their presence, gesturing for them to take the seats across Sova and Cypher. "This briefing is going to be quick and short, so listen carefully."

Once Viper and Sage took the seats across the other two agents, Brimstone finally began the briefing, gesturing at the holographic images popping up before them. Each and every one was explained thoroughly and most of them garnered either nods or murmured questions that were swiftly answered by the big man himself.

The little details aroused the interest of Sova though, especially when it was mentioned they needed to make a trip to an abandoned Kingdom excavation facility similar to the one off the coast at Bennett Island in Russia, which went by the code name _Icebox_.

Upon nearing the end of the briefing, Brimstone opened the floor for further questions and discussion, which the agents didn't hesitate in voicing out their queries concerning the mission.

"Your informant, Brimstone," Cypher started. "is he trustworthy?"

"He's one of the few good men I know in the Kingdom. He may not work for the right team, but I'm entirely sure he knows what his information can give us."

"And what might that be?"

"Advantage over our enemy."

"His employers, you mean." Viper pointed out in a flat tone, the look in her eyes unconvinced. "I don't know about any of you or this undercover agent of yours, Brimstone, but I know for certain this is an ambush disguised as a supposedly informative and confidential rendezvous."

Sage pursed her lips and exchanged looks with Sova, who seemed to agree on the scientist's point as well. "I must admit, Viper has a valid point. Not to pass judgment so quickly, but how can we be certain that the man isn't leading us to an ambush? Especially after the attempted purge we did to one of their facilities a month ago?"

"That's the reason why I'm sending the four of you instead of merely sending one or two agents." Brimstone said, glancing between them. "I don't really know if I can still the trust the guy, but if he actually _does_ have the intel he's guaranteeing, then we might be able to cut off a quarter of the Kingdom's supply of _Radianite_. It's a risk we just have to take."

"I understand why Cypher and Sova are here, and Viper as well, but what's my role in this operation?" Sage asked, seemingly unable to see how a healer like herself could be of use to the mission at hand.

"You're part of the contingency plan. If this does turns out to be another gunfight, then your orbs will be able to slow the enemy down enough for the others to make their escape. You can also provide healing for anyone that ends up being wounded in the process."

"I advise Sage to not show herself during the rendezvous." Sova suggested, gesturing at the sentinel. "We can let your informant think you only sent Cypher and Viper."

"And where will you be?"

"I'll find myself a perch. A high ground where I can keep watch."

"Hmm, I agree with his approach." Cypher said with a hum. "If the informant is indeed not alone, they'll assume you sent _me_ for the intel and Viper's attendance could already be seen as a precaution itself."

"Make them think that I'm the only backup, and if they reveal themselves, Sova and Sage can provide us the cover we need for our escape." Viper seemed to agree with the plan being laid out, clearly seeing the logic behind the given option.

"Heh," Brimstone smiled to himself, lightly scoffing before shaking his head. "looks like you four seem to have this handled already."

The said agents once again exchanged looks, nodding to one another and coming to a wordless agreement before returning their attention to the man briefing them.

"Alright then, gear up. Your transport's waiting at the hangar."

The four agents stood up and left the briefing room, heading towards their respective laboratories and workshops to retrieve their needed special arsenals before equipping themselves with the weapons available for their choosing in the facility's armory.

Upon their departure though, Brimstone went off to the communications room, where he spoke to one of people stationed in that particular area in order to get in touch with a certain someone.

"Contact our main facility in Australia."

"Sir? What for?"

"Get Agent _Skye_ on the line."

.....

.....

.....

Sighing as she stretched out the kinks in her arms, Killjoy made her way to Viper's lab, where she intended on finally inviting the woman for their morning meal. It's been more than an hour ever since Viper left her in her quarters, so she figured the scientist was likely hungry for some breakfast.

It's been a week ever since her return from her capture and throughout that span of time, she's been awfully happy with herself. Viper allowed her to give her hugs even when they're in public and though it didn't usually last as long as she wanted it to, she always managed to steal a kiss on the cheek before the other would shoot her a look and pretty much shoo her away.

"Hey, KJ!"

The techie stopped just before she rounded around the corner where Viper's lab could be found, turning around to face who had called her. Recognizing the voice though, she wasn't surprised to see Jett jogging towards her, while behind her, Reyna trailed close.

"Ah, hey there, you two." She greeted them with a wave, eyes looking over their shoulder to try and spot a certain agent. When these two were around, Sage was bound to be close by. "Where's Sage?"

"That's why we're here, _hermanita_." Reyna started, gesturing at her. "We're here to ask about her whereabouts."

"Isn't she in her quarters?"

Jett shook her head. "Nope. Checked already, she's not there."

"Medical Bay maybe?"

Reyna shook her head this time, wordlessly providing a response.

Neither of them had yet to say or ask anything else when Breach's voice practically boomed throughout the hall as he came from the corner, followed by his dog, which excitedly barked at them in greeting.

"Looking for your lovers, lovebirds?" He quipped at them with a little laugh at his own query. "Not really sad to say, but they're both out on an intel gathering mission with Cypher and Sova."

"Why so many agents on such a facile operation?" Reyna asked, while Jett nodded and concurred with her point.

"What's the big deal with the intel anyway? Like, seriously, _four_ agents?" Jett added her own questions, lips curling into a frown almost similar to her fellow duelist.

"Why don't you guys ask the big boss?" Breach then nodded over his shoulder. "He's over at the _MAC_. Cypher's providing a live broadcast of their mission right now."

( **MAC** \- _Mission Assessment Center_ )

The three were quick to excuse themselves from Breach, whose invitation for them to join him and Raze with their plans on upgrading their equipment ended up being disregarded. The man sighed and quietly laughed to himself. Once the trio went on their way, Breach just clicked his tongue, gesturing for his furry friend to follow after him as he continued with his trip to Raze's workshop.

Meanwhile at the edge of Russia, four VALORANT agents could be found exiting their aircraft, which was in stealth mode to prevent anyone from spotting its huge structure.

Both Sage and Sova wore white winter parka coats, while ahead of them, Cypher and Viper were already making their way to the rendezvous point, the two of them dressed in black ski jackets.

"I'll be on top of the crane." Sova notified them as he rushed off to the direction of the tall yellow crane layered with frost and dripping with frozen icicles.

"I'll cover from the mountain." Sage said from her line, climbing through the ice-coated pavement at one of the far ends of the excavation site.

"Careful, you two." Cypher bid quietly, glancing around as he walked alongside Viper. "Prepare your escape routes in case the deal goes south. We never know with Kingdom these days."

"This is Brimstone's informant." Sova said, that statement alone clearly showing he trusted their fellow agent. "And, so far, he has not failed to acquire us valuable info and sources."

Cypher hummed and nodded to himself, while Viper remained quiet beside him, her green eyes fleeting from one point to another. She didn't like the feeling of the abandoned area. Despite every single inch of the location being covered with frost and snow, Viper still seemed unconvinced and wary.

"Stay cautious." She finally spoke up, murmuring. "It's too... quiet."

"Roger that."

"Copy."

The Spectres concealed behind their back and underneath their jacket was a bit uncomfortable on the spine, but the two managed well and walked as if there was no firearm attached to them. The only weapon they're visibly armed with was Cypher's custom Ghost pistol, which was poking from under his coat and of course Viper's own custom Shorty, which was sheathed in the holster strapped to her right thigh.

In a few moments, Sova had finally the crane and was at the very tip of the heavy machinery, perching himself on the edge with perfect balance as he looked through the scope of his Operator. Any other ordinary sniper would likely have difficulty in his position and the weather condition that surrounded him, but Sova was in his home country. Sniping targets through the unforgiving winter will always be one of the skills he's proud of.

At the mountains laying on the snow and between a couple of large rocks mostly powdered with snow, Sage was already positioned, her own Operator in hand and currently being used to survey the area. She may be a healer and look as harmless as one, she was certainly not to be underestimated when it came to handling a sniper rifle. After all, she's been training with Sova lately when it came to this particular firearm.

"Care to do the honors?" Cypher withdrew a tracker-like gadget, which Brimstone had provided them before their departure. They were told once they turned it on, their location would be revealed to the informant and only then will the latter approach them.

Viper rolled her eyes and took the piece of tech, turning it on with a flick of her thumb. The item started blinking, looking more and more like a beacon as they waited for anyone to respond to their signal.

Probably three to five minutes passed but no one dared to speak and break the silence that had overcome the separated group. The only thing they could hear were the harsh winds of the frigid breeze. Viper handed Cypher the tracker and was just about to look around the barren facility when they heard the sound of snow crunching under boots.

Each of them expected that they'd see a man likely as old as Brimstone yet probably as superior-looking as him as well, but much to their surprise, a young woman emerged around the corner of the large red shipping container before them, donning an armor similar to Brimstone's and sporting a Kingdom icon patch on her shoulder.

For a moment, Cypher and Viper stared at the individual, while Sova and Sage started looking around for any hints of other soldiers. Only when the woman withdrew the assault rifle behind her did the two agents in front of her swiftly and smoothly withdrew their Spectres, pointing the submachine guns at her the second they unfolded the stocks.

"Identify yourself." Viper harshly commanded, but the woman remained where she stood and stayed quiet for another moment, making no move in lowering her own rifle.

"You killed him." Said the Kingdom soldier, adjusting her grip on her gun.

Cypher's eyebrows furrowed. "Killed who?"

"My father. You killed him. All of you did."

Cypher glanced at Viper, who met his gaze for a brief second before their eyes refocused on their seemingly lone enemy. The two of them had one thought in mind who the _'father'_ was, and they're more than sure Sova and Sage knew as well.

Brimstone's informant, who's not present and most probably dead due to the discovery of this particular rendezvous.

"Sova, Sage," Cypher spoke discreetly, voice too low for anyone but their comms to hear. "report?"

Sova gritted his teeth as he switched to thermal scope, his grip on the Operator tightening when he took notice of the numbers of Kingdom soldiers rapidly closing in. "You're outnumbered. Likely ten to fifteen against one. Maybe more."

"You must leave." Sage said, also seeing many more hostile units approaching through her own scope. "They're coming from all sides of the site."

"What about the daughter?"

Viper scrutinized the woman's stance, taking note of how she just stood there and saw how her finger was on the trigger but seemed to hold no tension. "She's stalling. We need to fall back. Now."

"Run and shoot, then."

The moment Cypher and Viper took their first of many steps backward, the soldier before them immediately pulled the trigger, holding it down and spraying bullets at them. The two of them immediately dove behind the shipping containers, exchanging looks and nodding at one another before running in opposite directions.

"Back to the aircraft. I'll cover Viper." Sage said as she shot the first person that came close to the scientist's location.

"I have Cypher's back." Sova swiftly guaranteed, taking out two soldiers with one bullet.

Sage stood up from her place on the snow, grabbing one of the orbs attached to her belt before launching it to the area near Viper. Bright green, crystallized goo materialized before the ground in front of the nearing squad, distracting and delaying them enough for Viper to run right past them and shoot each and every one in the head.

As for Cypher, the area he was fortunate enough to go through provided him more cover from the hail of gunfire the Kingdom released upon him. This, of course, had Sova's hands full, prompting him to make each bullet in his magazine count. Once the spy was far enough from being harmed close-range, Sova swapped to his bow and fired shock darts at the other squad of soldiers, including the ones that tried chasing after Viper.

"I'm at the aircraft!" Cypher said, the sound of the plane starting up reaching through their comms. "Sova, I'll fly over the crane, prepare for extraction. Viper, think you can reach the other side of the site?"

"At Sage's direction? On my way." Viper said, firing a _Snake Bite_ behind her to slow down her pursuers. "Sage, pack up. Prep for evac."

Sage withdrew more of her orbs, launching and deploying slow fields before she turned to finally climb the mountain further and get as far as she could for her to get a much safer point of extraction. Much to her misfortune, the moment she spun around with her Operator in hand, a five-man squad literally emerged and came into her sights, each of them holding heavy-duty machine guns poised to shoot at her.

"Drop your weapon now!"

From her point, Viper glanced at the crane, where Sova was just boarding their airborne transport, before she looked towards Sage's post, her eyes widening when she found the healer being held at gunpoint.

Viper heard Cypher and Sova call out to them but before the two could make a choice, the scientist ordered them to try and save Sage first before her. As she gave the command, Viper launched another vial of acid to the direction where the Kingdom soldiers chasing after her were coming from.

"Viper, what about...-"

"Retrieve Sage and go! I'll meet you there!"

When Viper did a sharp turn, she didn't expect to collide against a large hulking form, the soldier's tall stature overshadowing her even more when she fell onto the ground. The Kingdom soldier scoffed before he reached towards her with surprising speed, grabbing her by the throat.

Choking noises immediately left her when the soldier lifted her up in the air, and even when she managed to point her Spectre on the man and pulled the trigger to empty the clip on his chest, the armor he wore merely caused the bullets to bounce off as if they were made out of rubber. Kicking and struggling to pry off the seemingly unbreakable grip around her neck, Viper still succeeded on withdrawing her Shorty from its holster.

Only for something solid touch her back and cause a sudden electric shock to course through her entire body.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

The high-voltage shock continued on until Viper started seeing black spots in her line of vision. She was gasping desperately for air now, a feeling she had long been unfamiliar with until now. At the last few seconds before she fell in a state of unconsciousness, the soldier dropped her back on the dirt, while behind her, another soldier spoke to someone from his radio.

"Agent Viper apprehended."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

The screen was showing nothing but static. Brimstone and the people with him in the _Mission Assessment Center_ looks to be in shock upon the loss of connection with Cypher's live feed. To make things much, much worse, the broadcast was cut to a very heart-stopping moment.

While Cypher hovered the aircraft where Sage was cornered at, Sova attempted to fire at the enemies that trapped the healer, only for their transport to suddenly be shot by some sort of missile that came from the other side of the excavation site. It blew off one of the wings of the aircraft, causing them to suffer a disastrous crash at the other side of the mountain.

The two knew the risks of trying to save Sage, but they couldn't bear to just stay back and watch as the sentinel was captured by the Kingdom, especially since they've practically left Viper to fend for herself just to save their other fellow agent first.

"Wait, wait, wait, what happened?" Killjoy's voice shattered the tense silence, looking towards one of the communications officer typing on the phone the main panel. "Don't we have any more connections? Any more eyes on that location?"

The officer shook his head. "When their aircraft crashed, Agent Cypher's connection was cut off."

"We are literally _VALORANT_. Don't we have any control over satellites?" Jett questioned with a look of disbelief. "Get us a satellite feed. _Anything_ that could get us some eyes on that place."

"We can't. Our signal is currently being blocked. The Kingdom must've deployed a jamming signal a few minutes upon their arrival. The only communications line that's absolutely accessible in these cases are either Agent Cypher's or Sova's, but right now, both are down and offline."

"Are you saying right now that not only might we have no confirmation if we had lost Sova and Cypher from that crash, but we also won't even have a chance to see if Sage and Viper are still alive?" Reyna queried, her eyes menacingly glowing in the dimly-lit room.

The officer quietly gulped and nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Killjoy stared, an incredulous look on her face while panic was setting within her. "Are you _serious_!?"

Brimstone audibly sighed in frustration, shaking his head before practically barking out Reyna and Jett's names. The two agents quickly followed after him when he turned and walked out of the MAC, knowing he was likely going to send them as a rescue team along with other agents.

Killjoy rushed after him, eyebrows knitting together when he didn't call for _her_.

"Jett, Reyna, head to the hangar. I'll have Omen meet you there in two minutes. Time is of the essence, like always, so I'll give a short briefing on the way to Russia." Brimstone said, waving the two away. "I already anticipated this turnout, so I already have another operative on their way to the site. We rendezvous with her once we get there."

The two duelists were gone in what felt like a flash, both evidently determined in rescuing not only their lover but also their friends as well. Though the two didn't seem to have any more questions, Killjoy on the other hand had plenty.

"Brim, I can go with you guys!"

"No." Was the firm answer she received. "You stay here."

"But, Brimstone!"

"Killjoy, I don't want to hear any more of it, alright?" Brimstone grunted, turning to give her a sharp look that told her to just behave and accept the fact that she wasn't part of the rescue team. "Last time I sent you out there, you were captured and electrocuted during imprisonment! I will not have it happen again."

"That was my fault! I disobeyed Omen's orders, fine, that's wrong. But, Brimstone, this is _Sabine_ we're talking about! My girlfriend!"

Brimstone halted his steps again and practically went toe-to-toe with Killjoy, a deep, disapproving scowl on his face. "Exactly why you have to stay."

"Brims...-"

"You disobeyed orders and left to do what you thought was best, which nearly cost you your life. Imagine if the Kingdom just chose to shoot you on sight." Brimstone held his expression, which showed he wasn't going to let Killjoy convince him otherwise. "With your personal connection with Viper, who knows what you'd do to save her?"

"I won't put the team in danger!"

"I know that. But, I also know you wouldn't give a care if _you_ got hurt as long as you save her and that's unacceptable."

"Brimstone!"

"I'm sorry, Killjoy, but I'm doing this to protect you. Just like what I'm supposed to do from the beginning."

Tears of frustration had gathered in the corners of the techie's eyes and when Brimstone tried giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, she shoved his hand away and glared at him.

"I hate you so much right now."

"Hate me or not, it won't change my mind. You're staying here and that's final."

And with that, Brimstone spun around and walked away, leaving Killjoy to just clench her fist and kick at the wall in immense exasperation.

Killjoy was a perfectly capable agent. She was included in the VALORANT Protocol for a reason, yet as she leaned on the wall, sliding down until she was on floor and was just staring at wall across her, she bit her lip.

When she was captured and held in that dreadful cell, both Viper and Reyna came and saved her from any more distasteful interactions with those Kingdom guards and from further electrocution. She had only stayed in that place for a fair amount of time, but knowing hers and Viper's _Radiant_ capabilities were much different from one another, who knows what the Kingdom would do to her?

Aggravated, Killjoy bit at her gloved fist as she recalled the sight of faded needle marks on Viper's back. The reason how the scientist discovered that no poison could kill her, a topic she didn't like discussing so openly even with her. The Kingdom wasn't finished with her when the military had saved her from the torturous despair she was in.

What if...

What if that's _exactly_ what they do to her now?

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Arms and hands constricted by the steel capsule-like hatch they were encased in, which prompted her to spread them to her sides and pull them back, Viper kneeled on the cold floor of the room, clad in nothing but a disposable white medical gown.

The circular white light above her head was like a spotlight that glared at her, while the needles pierced on her spine pumped various types of hazardous liquid into her system. With how often some unknown chemical would course through the thin tubes connected to the needles and seep into her, despite the small doses, it was still more than lethal for any other person.

But this was Viper, a _Radiant_ that was said to be immune to any type of poison.

It's the only thing that kept her breathing and her heart beating.

A voice silencer mask was clasped over her mouth, replacing the mask she was wearing before her unfortunate capture. No matter how much she may try to speak, she would remain unheard. As for movement, such would be nothing but a wasted effort.

"Replace fifteen percent of her blood with chemical A, then another fifteen percent with chemical B."

"Yes, ma'am."

Viper's head hung low as she mostly breathed through her nose, feeling like her remaining strength was slowly being siphoned out of her with each pump of the strange liquid into her body. She could only blink and somewhat dazedly watch the feet of the scientists around her as they circled her, changing the fills of the machinery she's connected to with a different content and experimenting various types of poison and chemicals on her.

The whole agonizing predicament she was subjected in was like being back to the very time before she was recruited into the VALORANT protocol. The pain of the needles pierced through the skin around her spine, the things they filled her with, it was like she was experiencing a much more painful replay of possibly one of the worst memories she ever had.

Time seemed to move painstakingly slow and with every single minute she spent kneeling on that spot and powerlessly watching the Kingdom scientists make her their own personal human lab rat, Viper felt could feel herself losing consciousness once again.

Maybe she'd be lucky enough that when she wakes up again, rescue has come.

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

"It would be an absolute waste to put a bullet through your skull, _Radiant_." The interrogator said, spitting out the last word with so much venom Sage felt like she was just about to be poisoned by it. "Why don't you just cooperate and tell us what we want to know, hmm?"

Sage, who was sporting a bleeding lip and a few bruises, merely stared coldly back at the man looming before her, wordlessly telling him she was _still_ not going to talk.

"Alright then, fine. Have it your way." The man ushered for the woman on standby at the side. "Mila, show her how we handle her type of prisoners."

The woman said nothing and only took a step forward, roughly grabbing Sage by her jaw and lifting her gaze up until their eyes met. The moment their gazes connected, they broke away from one another just as fast, for Mila had just slapped her across the face probably for the umpteenth time.

Sage hissed in pain, but like the previous strikes she had received, she didn't cry out. Slowly, she straightened her gaze again, shooting Mila a look before she let her eyes fall back down to the steel table in front of her, which her cuffs were currently chained to.

"Still not talking?"

Before Sage could even realize the next move of her enemies, Mila clasped a hand at the back of her head and slammed her down on the table face-first. There was a loud _bang!_ upon her collision and though her nose was fortunately not broken, it was still bleeding and was dripping crimson by the time she managed to push her face away from the cool surface of the table.

"Maybe now she will talk." Mila said, her smirk ringing through her words as she stepped back again and nodded to her partner. "Igor."

"Will the little lady speak now?" The man, Igor, asked, face hovering just beside Sage's.

They've been questioning her about the whereabouts of VALORANT's Russian branch, which was still in the dark and yet to be announced. The setup was already done, but no one knew but those from VALORANT itself where it's located. Clearly, the Kingdom people in Russia wanted it gone before it even existed officially.

Though Sage did indeed know where it was located at, she merely shook her head and said through the blood that trickled over her lips, "You're making a big mistake. Doing all this to me? Doing whatever you're doing to my friend? If you do think I'm going to tell you what you want to know just because of a little pain, then you are far foolish than I've expected."

Taunting the enemy in her situation wasn't exactly smart, but then again, she wasn't the type to break so easily. Maybe Reyna and Jett's stubborn attitude was rubbing off on her.

"Little pain?"

White-hot pain shot though her right leg when Igor took the knife Mila handed him and suddenly stabbed it into her leg. For the first time ever since she was beaten and physically abused upon her capture, Sage cried out in agony. Even though it was a short scream, it seemed to bring both of her torturers the sadistic satisfaction.

"Is it still _'little pain'_?"

Sage's hands clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palm as she took in deep breaths to calm herself. It was an attempt to ignore the stinging pain that seemed to echo from the wound she was now sustaining on her left leg.

The wise decision would probably be surrendering the information being questioned from her, but Sage merely shook her head, raised it after and said, "You will get _nothing_ from me."

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

"Calm yourself, Jett."

"Can't."

"I said, calm yourself."

"And I said, I can't."

"Jett...-"

"I can't, alright!?" Jett snapped, stopping her pacing at the space beside the crash site of their friends' aircraft, where she, Reyna, Brimstone and Omen were waiting for their supposed fellow agent to meet with them. "I can't calm down because I know Sage is out there and is probably in huge trouble right now!"

**_Slap!_ **

The sound of Reyna's hand coming in contact with Jett's cheek caused Brimstone and Omen to look over to them, immediately averting their gaze when they saw what came after.

As soon as Reyna silenced Jett's rather frantic worries, she cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a kiss that shut her up. Jett's eyes were wide, while Reyna's fluttered close for a moment before she pulled back and gazed at the Korean agent, whose cheeks reddened evidently, with a scrutinizing look.

Brimstone coughed and decided to step away from them, while Omen trailed after him, not wanting to be left to personally hear or witness whatever the two duelists would do to one another as an attempt to calm themselves down.

"Are you calm now?" Reyna asked, raising an eyebrow as she slowly pulled her hands away from Jett. "Or are you going to start running around like a headless chicken?"

Much to Reyna's surprise, Jett grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in again, their height difference causing the purple-eyed agent to lower herself again for the other to easily reach her lips. This one was longer and a bit clumsy, in Reyna's opinion, but it still held meaning.

When they pulled back and looked at one another again, Jett placed her hands on Reyna's shoulders, giving it a few pats and one squeeze before she pulled back and released a breath.

"Okay. Okay, okay, I'm calm." Jett said mostly to herself, dusting and straightening the wrinkles of the front of her clothes.

"Good." Reyna said after a moment, clearing her throat and ushering Jett to follow after her once she saw someone approaching them.

The individual that was heading towards them was a tall and muscular woman with her honey blonde hair tied in a braid that emphasized its caramel lowlights. She had a piercing on her left eyebrow and her cheeks were adorned with freckles, eyes donning a vibrant green color that would remind anyone of nature itself.

"Skye, report!"

"The facility's on the other side of the city." Their said to be fellow agent, Skye, was quick to do what Brimstone said. "Had a little bit of a hard time, but nothing we couldn't handle."

"We?" Jett queried, looking around to see if somebody else was there.

All of a sudden, a hawk emerged from behind her and perched on her shoulder, its eyes glowing with the brightest green as if there was a spirit within the insentient animal. Any other day Jett, and maybe even Reyna, would have been fascinated or curious by the sight of it, but their minds were focused on a much important matter.

"You found us a way in?" Brimstone asked, earning a nod from the other.

"That I did, and I also confirmed that not only Sage and Viper are under Kingdom's captivity, but also Sova and Cypher, who are currently in being guarded in the facility's Infirmary."

At the mention of the four's names and their states caused the three of them to give their own versions of relief. Knowing no one had suffered death in all the chaos that had happened was more than enough to drive Brimstone and the rest to do their utmost best in rescuing their allies.

"Ahem." Omen cleared his throat, staring right at Brimstone until the man realized what he meant with that mere gesture.

"Right, introductions." Brimstone took his own turn in clearing his throat before turning to address the three agents he came with. "Everyone, this is Skye from VALORANT's Australian division. She's a new recruit and will be joining us at the main base after this mission. Permanently. Skye, this is Omen, Reyna and Jett. I'm sure you're familiar with them."

"Hmm."

"Hey."

Omen grunted.

"A pleasure to meet you all."

"Alright, I know some of you have questions for one another, but unfortunately, that'll have to wait. As much as it'd be faster to take the jet, it's much better for us to go on foot." Brimstone then ushered for Skye. "Skye, lead the way."

"You got it, old man."

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

One minute Jett was casually talking with Skye to ease her mind, Reyna was silently listening to their conversation and Brimstone and Omen was closely trailing behind them, the next they were engaged into a heavy gunfight with the people from the Kingdom in the underground facility.

Due to the rain of bullets being shot at them, the group had no choice but to split up into two. While Brimstone and Omen headed off to the Infirmary to retrieve Cypher and Sova's injured selves, Skye led Jett and Reyna to Sage and Viper.

"If they're still interrogating her, she might still be in the chamber at the end of this hall." Skye said, gesturing at one of the paths at the intersection ahead of them. "If not, then take either the elevator or the stairs down two levels. That's where they keep the cells for prisoners. I'll go ahead and get Viper."

"We'll meet you at the designated exit." Jett said, while Reyna gave her a nod and a fleeting pat on the shoulder before they charged down the hall, immediately taking down the group of soldiers that tried stopping their advance.

Skye used her _Seekers_ , which went ahead of them to find the agent she was tasked to rescue. She used _Trailblazer_ soon after, sending the Tasmanian Tiger to follow after her _Seekers_. Her eyes glowed for a second as she was presented with the image of a room filled with scientists, each and every one of them being robbed of most of their line of sight.

Once their sense of sight returned to them completely, they turned to look towards the entrance of the laboratory, only to see an ethereal hawk that flew through and ended up blinding them.

Skye practically flew in herself as she busted into the room, Vandal in hand and finger pulling on the trigger every time there was a head at the end of the rifle. By the time her abilities had dispersed and she was left to stand among the now fallen scientists, she hooked her weapon behind her before approaching the kneeling form of the agent at the center of the room.

"Alright, umm... How do I take these off?" Skye asked herself, scratching her head as she looked at the needles painfully dug inside the back of her fellow agent.

Walking around and kneeling in front of Viper, Skye deactivated the silencer mask and unclasped it from her, tossing it aside before finally meeting Viper's evidently exhausted gaze.

"I know you _literally_ have your hands tied right now, but is there any chances you know how to remove those needles without it being extremely agonizing?"

Viper merely stared at her, said look asking her if she was serious with her question. When the controller realized that the Australian before her was indeed serious with her query, she could only groan lowly. "Just pull them out."

"Pull them out?" Skye asked, blinking owlishly. "Like, literally just yank them by the tubes?"

Viper weakly nodded. "Yes."

"Seriously? You want me to pull them out just like that?"

"Like a band-aid."

Skye wanted to protest and ask for any more options, but she could hear the distant yet approaching footsteps of the enemy reinforcements that would no doubt overwhelm them upon their arrival. She bit her lip and still looked unsure, but with how Viper glared, she accepted the fact that she had no choice but to do what she was told.

Grabbing the tubes collectively, Skye took a lungful of air at the same time as Viper had before she clenched her teeth uneasily and rapidly tugged the needles away from Viper's back. The scream the scientist released caused her to wince, the sight of blood oozing out of the open wounds nearly causing her to pale at the gruesome sight.

"Okay, Skye, calm down."

Using her _Regrowth_ ability, she healed Viper enough to stop the bleeding before she stole one of the lab coats at the side, removed Viper's restraints and wrapped her up for more decent coverage. The hospital gown wasn't exactly that acceptable, especially with its back parting open.

Once Viper was bundled in the white coat, which was being stained with red by the blood on her back, Skye carried her bridal style, a clench of her fist summoning her _Trailblazer_ once again.

"Give us a clear path, would you?"

The animal growled before rushing away, leaving Skye to trail after it before the enemies could catch up to her again. The four-legged creature led her to places she had a bit of difficulty in fitting through with Viper, but nonetheless, she managed and was able to make it to the rendezvous point without any more concerns.

She and Viper ducked low behind some crates as they waited for the others, which gave the raven-haired woman the chance to ask a question that's been floating around in her mind upon the arrival of her rescuer.

"Killjoy..." Viper uttered the techie's name oh so quietly that Skye nearly didn't hear it. The latter turned away from the corner she was peeking around, scooting close to Viper to hear what she had to say.

"What was that?"

"Killjoy... Is she... Is she here with you?"

Skye, who's absolutely clueless about the relationship between the rescuee and the mentioned tech genius, tilted her head. "Killjoy? You mean, _Agent_ Killjoy?"

Viper nodded.

"Uhh, no, she isn't. The only ones I met here were Brimstone, Omen, Reyna and Jett."

"I see..."

"Cypher and Sova are here, too! And so is Sage. We actually came here to rescue you four."

"I figured."

"Not to worry. Sooner or later, you'll be back to headquarters."

Viper coughed, immediately covering her mouth with a part of the lab coat she's wrapped in to silence herself. She didn't exactly want to alert the enemies of their location. While Skye got back up and tried spying for the sight of their friends, Viper was left to lean on a crate as she pulled her hand back and looked at the blood staining the once white fabric of the coat.

Never would she admit it, but Viper surprisingly found herself a bit disappointed that Killjoy wasn't part of the recovery team. But, regardless of such feeling, she was more than a little grateful that Killjoy wasn't there. It meant that nothing harmful could happen to her little mouse, who's most likely back at VALORANT HQ.

Knowing the techie's attitude, the latter would likely be pulling her hair out just by waiting for her to return. The sight wasn't too far-fetched, but the thought of it was more than enough for Viper to ignore the intense stinging of her new wounds. She closed her eyes and despite knowing it might not be the best choice, her mind was made up.

She soon drifted to the sea of oblivion.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

The flight back to base was as peaceful as it could get. Brimstone and Omen piloted the jet on their way back, which allowed Skye to take her rest along with the other agents, who were situated around the seats in separate groups.

Sage was taking a short nap, the cut on her head being gently cleaned by Jett, whose lap she was laying on. The white-haired duelist kept glancing at Reyna though, who was at the far end of the seats. The bloodlusting woman had been detached ever since they rescued Sage and honestly, with how quiet and distant she had become, it was worrying Jett.

Was it because of what happened earlier? 

_Where she and Reyna came through, it seemed as if they attracted most of the attention in the facility with how many soldiers that poured through the halls just to try and stop them from reaching their lover. None succeeded with their efforts, every one of them falling with every bullet and kunai Reyna shot and Jett threw._

_In a blur, they were soon bursting inside a room. It was brightly lit and though it didn't seem to be an interrogation room. In fact, the floor was white and the lights from the walls illuminated the room. They soon found out what this particular room was being used for._

_Yes, the enemies were using it as a makeshift space for interrogation, but what the two agents saw made their blood boil and their fury flare like a flame going ablaze._

_Sage was tied to a chair and was being beaten by a woman, while a man was right behind the healer, laughing as he tasered her when his partner stepped back to catch her breath. The second Sage's scream left her lips, it's as if something was triggered within the duelists._

_Jett lunged at the woman, latching onto her back and withdrawing her knife from her holster, which she stabbed through the person's neck, causing them to choke at the blood that rapidly climbed and pooled in her mouth. Teeth gritting, Jett continued plunging the knife deeper and as much as she hated to admit it, the feeling of sweet revenge against the one that had hurt her lover was one of the most satisfying things she has ever experienced._

_Unsheathing the knife from the woman's neck, she plunged it from behind and directly at the spine, which resulted with the person releasing a brief, gargled cry of pain before falling on the floor, dead._

_Jett soon approached Sage, the both of them nearly jumping when Reyna slammed the man on the floor right beside them. The enemy was already bleeding from the deep cut on his stomach and the knife embedded in his shoulder, but Reyna still seemed displeased. Withdrawing her pistol, Reyna pressed the tip against the man's chest and emptied the entire clip._

_Each shot of the gun echoed in the room but before Reyna could finish, Jett had already gotten Sage out of her restraints. The latter leaned against her, too weak and leg too injured for her to even stand properly._

_"We're here now. You're safe." Jett murmured to Sage, who nodded and managed to offer a grateful look._

_Once again, they were taken by surprise by Reyna's snarl, which prompted them to look over to where the dead woman's body could be found. They found Reyna stabbing the corpse's face over and over again until the woman was unrecognizable. Only then did the dark-haired duelist stand and approach Sage._

_Hand stained with blood, Reyna cupped Sage's cheek, realizing too late that there was burgundy staining her fingers. She pulled back immediately as if she was just burned by fire and though Sage, nor Jett, said nothing, they looked clearly surprised that Reyna even retracted her touch away, regardless of the state of her hand._

_Sage tried reaching out, but Reyna stepped back and spun around, heading to the exit. She wasn't rejecting her gentle lover's touch, she just didn't want her to see her like this. A bloodthirsty monster._

_"I'll clear the way." She said, tone blank and sounding as if she was addressing mere soldiers. "Keep close, and keep_ **_her_ ** _safe."_

_Jett could only nod and say, "I will."_

Even though Reyna was more open to Sage than Jett, the latter was probably the second person to know the vixen and her true self. She recognized the look of self-disdain when Reyna had retreated that time and Jett knew that despite this being a possible chance for her to have Sage all to herself for the time being, the possibility of Reyna despising herself didn't sit well with her.

Not only was she concerned for Sage's well-being, especially since the healer had just been abused with torture, she was worried about Reyna's mental state as well. In this case, the vampire-like woman was like that lover she hates but likes in the end anyway.

That was their complicated yet more than manageable relationship ever since they involved themselves with Sage.

Across Jett and Sage, Viper could be seen seated in between Cypher and Sova, the latter's shoulder serving as a makeshift pillow for the scientist as she, too, took this as an opportunity for her to get some rest.

Skye's healing wasn't as thorough as Sage's, so Viper's wounds were still serving as a source of pain for her. Though she was thankful for the other healer's efforts and assistance, she still needed to wait for Sage's recovery for her to acquire her own speedy recuperation.

At the hangar and among the people were scrambling to prepare for the arrival of the agents, Killjoy stood at the very end of the landing pad. Once one of the officers of the communications team notified her of the group's return, she instantly left Viper's quarters and opted in waiting where she stood now.

Before she was informed of their approach, Killjoy has been spending the rest of her time at Viper's sleeping quarters, hugging the pillow her lover usually laid her head on. It was the closest thing that held the scent of the woman that she was desperately hoping was unscathed from her capture.

It was a long-shot, she knew, but she still hoped.

Killjoy didn't cry, but she was so close in doing so, especially when her mind started conjuring up images of Viper being mercilessly tortured by needles, taser shocks and many other brutal methods she had heard from Brimstone himself upon his stories when he was still part of the Kingdom.

Even now, she was still angry at the man. She felt so helpless when she was laying on the bed, embracing her girlfriend's pillow while she waited for any word about the mission. She could've done something if Brimstone allowed her, and maybe she wouldn't feel like she's losing her sanity with every single minute that passed without any contact from the others whatsoever.

Heart pounding upon the gradual descent of the aircraft on the pad, Killjoy felt like the beating organ would have leapt from her chest and out of her mouth with how fast it thundered. It might have even quickened when she watched the ramp of the transport lower and finally allow the people inside of it disembark.

The first thing Killjoy saw was a half-conscious Sage being carried by Reyna, who laid the healer on the gurney the medical personnel approached with. Killjoy winced at the sight of Sage's bruises and cuts, her lips pursing at the thought of Viper's state.

Next that came out were Cypher and Sova, both of them being assisted by Brimstone and Omen. The two were also laid on the other wheeled stretchers and upon the display of their own injuries, Killjoy felt like she would probably experience a heart attack once she saw her lover.

Who was actually the next one that came into view.

Killjoy's eyes widened as she watched Skye carry Viper out of the aircraft, the sight of the bloodied lab coat she's wrapped in and the lack of any other type of clothing nearly causing the techie to go hysterical.

"Sabine!"

Skye had just laid the scientist on a gurney when Killjoy reached them. The latter had literally just touched the skin of Viper's cheek when doctors came and intervened, rolling the stretcher away to bring to the medical bay.

It felt like the universe was cruelly toying with her and was getting its kicks from her pain. She didn't even get a good look on Viper before she was taken away from her. Granted, it was probably for her lover's own good, but still.

"KJ...-"

Watching Viper be taken away from her, regardless of such being for medical reasons, and only to hear Brimstone's voice after was infuriating for her. Killjoy spun around and glared at the older agent, who sighed and raised his hands to gesture for her to calm down.

"Don't _'KJ'_ me!" She said, her anger clearly painted on her face. "What do you expect me to say? Sabine was practically covered in blood, Brim! When she found me, the only thing I suffered were two brief shocks. But her? She _bled_! And I wasn't even there to save her personally!"

"We moved...-"

"I'm _thankful_ you brought her back. Really, I am. But my point here, Brimstone, is that _she_ brought _me_ back when I got caught. She risked her life for me and when I finally could do the same for her, you...! You did what you did!"

"Not to, um, _ahem_ , poke my nose into a business I'm not involved in," Skye started, albeit hesitantly. "but Brimstone did his best. He planned most of our moves in the facility and because of that, I managed to get to Viper when I had. Even if you did come along, you would've caught her in the same state I had found her."

"Skye, alright, that's enough." Brimstone said, sighing and waving her away. "Let me handle this. Go and rest up, you earned it."

Before Skye could ask who would show her to her new quarters, Breach, who was apparently waiting at the side, placed a metal hand on her shoulder, leading her way from the two, who clearly have some issues to discuss.

Sighing again, Brimstone turned back to address Killjoy once more. "Listen, kid, I know you're..."

The man trailed off as he watched the techie walk away from him, seemingly having heard enough of his _'excuses'_. He shook his head and took his hat off his head, running a hand through his hair out of stress.

Killjoy would probably hate him for a long time, but for him, it was worth it. As her guardian, he would rather have her safe and sound rather than on the brink of death or dead completely, even if it would cost him their father-daughter relationship.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Spending nearly an hour outside the emergency room and leaning on the wall just beside the double-doors didn't ease Killjoy a single bit. Raze tried offering her a sandwich for her to at least have something in her stomach while she waited for herself to be allowed on seeing Viper again, but she had no appetite. The sandwich was refused with a shake of her head, lips shaped into a frown.

A couple of minutes after Raze left, Killjoy soon felt another person's presence behind her. She didn't have to look, whoever it was, they decided lean on the wall across her, giving her a clear sight on who it was.

Russet brown eyes met forest green, which showed clear, sincere sympathy. Killjoy turned away, pushing her hands in her jacket's pockets as she left the new recruit and her with slightly tense silence as their third company.

"We did our best." Skye began. " _Brimstone_ tried his best."

Killjoy kept her lips pursed, form rigid and gaze anxious behind those glasses of hers. It was already clear it wouldn't have changed anything if she had come along, but the fact that she did _nothing_ to save Viper was what stung her heart the most.

"...Thank you for saving her."

Skye didn't seem to expect the thanks, but she nodded and said, "He told me about your... _involvement_ with Viper. I'm sorry you had to see her like this."

"What were they doing to her?"

"I... think it's best that you don't know." Skye said, frowning. She wasn't exactly fond of the sight of so many needles jammed into Viper's back. "It was... dreadful. Utterly dreadful."

"Were they experimenting on her?"

Skye's lips formed into a line. "...Sort of. We didn't have time to find a way to properly remove those _things_ from her, but I did what I could and stopped the bleeding before I got her out."

A moment of silence overtook them, which allowed Killjoy to soak up the given information. She didn't appreciate the image her mind concocted with it, but she was certainly not going to blame Skye for it. After all, the new agent was the reason why Viper didn't bleed to death.

"Did she ask for me?"

"Huh?"

"Did she ask for me?" Killjoy directed her gaze in Skye, her eyes looking glassy. "When you saved her, did she...?"

"She did." Skye answered truthfully. "But, I'm sure she understood why you weren't there."

"It's still frustrating. When I got captured, I never expected her to come and save me, but she did. She came, she fought, she _saved_ me." Killjoy's eyes casted low, one hand pulling her beanie down to try and cover up her evidently stressed face. "The fact that she asked about me... She probably expected I'd be there for her, just like how she was there for me."

"She... She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

Killjoy slumped against the wall, resisting the urge to just slide down on the floor like earlier and hug her knees against herself. She wanted to tell Skye that Viper was everything to her, that she loved her more than anything. With so many things she wanted to say, all that left her lips was a sigh.

Skye could sense the shift from her, knowing it was only right to give her the privacy she seemed to need. Pushing herself off the wall, she had every intention to leave Killjoy alone, but not before she told her, "She's a tough one, and what's important here is that she's alive, ain't she?"

"..."

"At times like this, the only thing we could do is look at the bright side."

Skye offered a small reassuring smile before she finally left Killjoy to her solitude. The techie deeply sighed, sluggishly walking towards the waiting chairs and plopping down onto one. Though she look drained physically and mentally, she refused to retreat in her quarters.

_'Look at the bright side, look at the bright side, look at the bright side...'_

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

Oblivious of the time yet aware of her surroundings and the people around her, Viper let her eyes remain close as the doctors worked on her. Throughout the entire process of their attempts in fixing up the wounds on her back, she could hear their discussion about how the chemical that she was being dosed with had burned the skin around where the needles were once pierced through and was preventing any of their equipment and medicine in sealing them close completely.

Viper mentally scoffed. The doctors cleaned her wounds as much as they could before she heard them say they've done everything they could do and that it would be up to Sage to heal the rest once she herself had recovered. All they did was spray something on her back, most of the damaged skin of her spine being covered with a thin and clear crystallized layer that apparently kept them from being infected for the time being.

They were careful with her and once they laid her on a bed and left her alone, Viper finally opened her eyes. She sighed, her voice a little hoarse due to the recent lack of hydration. Eyes wandering absently around the plain medical space, Viper tried ignoring not only the slightly uncomfortable feeling of her crystal-layered spine. She knew it's what kept her wounds stinging, so she was somewhat thankful Sage had invented the impressive medical equipment.

What truly took her attention was the burning within her.

Raising her hand, which trembled visibly and more than usual, Viper took notice of how pale her complexion was. She was certain her face likely looked ashen, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

No, she was more focused on controlling the flaming blaze inside of her, which contradicted the cold chills she was also getting. It's as if she was undergoing some sort of abnormal fever, but when the doctors checked her temperature before they left, they claimed it was too low and that it almost resembled the temperature of a corpse. Yet, Viper still felt like fire was coursing through her very own veins.

**_Hiss!_ **

Her eyes immediately yet calmly slid close again the second she heard the door of her medical room slide open. She was in no mood to talk, nor interact in any way with others, so she stuck to continuing her feigned state of unconsciousness.

Whoever her visitor was, they were quiet. The only thing Viper could hear was their nearly soundless footsteps and the low hiss of the door sliding close again.

Mentally sighing at the unknown company's presence, Viper contemplated if she should just try to actually sleep. Moments before she could make a choice though, the mattress shifted in the slightest as her visitor suddenly climbed onto the bed.

A different type of warmth, one she had grown familiar with, engulfed her legs, where the person that came to see her had curled up on. Hands idly caressed her hips on top of the blanket, while the owner of those light fingers laid their head on her stomach.

There was only one person that would be brave enough to do this.

Viper was still thinking of her next move when she heard a quiet, muffled sob. On any other day, she would have either scoffed or sighed at the sound of vulnerability, but instead, her eyes fluttered open once again.

Emerald orbs darted down to her lap, where she found Killjoy all curled up on top, looking like a cat that was afraid of their owner abandoning them. The yellow jacket itself and the green beanie was more than enough proof that it was her lover. Killjoy was shaking a little, which would be followed up with a few quiet sobs and sniffles.

Viper wanted to roll her eyes at the sight and tell her how she shouldn't look so weak and vulnerable, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Though she wasn't able to see the techie's face, she was more than sure that the latter was likely crying. Just by thinking about talking or doing _anything_ other than resting felt exhausting already, but then again, this was Killjoy she was intending on dealing with.

Ultimately coming to a decision, Viper lifted her hand up and gently rested it on Killjoy's cheek, her shaky fingers feeling the techie become still for a second before she slowly raised her head to look at her.

"Sabine...?"

When Killjoy pushed herself up and hovered right on top of Viper, the scientist reached for her, wiping some of the tears streaming down her cheeks. There was no comforting look on her face, but her trembling touch was more reassuring than any gesture Killjoy could ever think of receiving from her.

"I hate tears." Viper hoarsely uttered, lips curving downward. "It makes anyone look so... pathetic. Most especially you."

Instead of being insulted, more of Killjoy's tears pooled. She leaned in and kissed Viper on the lips, yet she pulled away as quick as she had close in. She then kissed Viper's cheek over and over again while she carefully adjusted her position beside the scientist, who did nothing but half-heartedly sigh and shift along with her until she was nestled in the techie's arms.

"If I recall correctly, I'm quite sure the doctors said I won't be having any guests 'til tomorrow."

" _Mein Gott_ , Sabine, you look so pale." Killjoy said, completely disregarding the blatant mention of Viper not being allowed to receive any visitors. She brushed some of the raven hair away, her crying seemingly coming to a halt as she continued her little inspection on the scientist. "And you're so cold."

Viper was honestly unsurprised at the treatment she was getting. Sighing, she tried turning away from Killjoy and just when she thought the tech expert had finally chosen to be quiet, she heard her gasp in what seemed to be in horror.

She stilled.

Apparently, she had forgotten about her back and how she was once again wearing a hospital gown, which meant Killjoy must have seen the wounds she garnered from her capture.

"Oh mein Gott..."

Viper remained silent, keeping her back turned and refusing to move any more than she had, especially when she felt Killjoy touch the edge of the crystal layer. She briefly recalled how she would sometimes tease the techie when they were in bed. The way she'd run her tongue over Killjoy's spine and make her shudder beneath her. The other always loved to return the favor to her, but with her back like this, for the first time in a long, long time, Viper suddenly felt self-conscious about her body.

Silently, she grabbed the blanket and draped it over her shoulder, covering the horrendous doings the Kingdom had done onto her. She could feel Killjoy's gaze on her, but she still didn't turn. She didn't want to see how she was reacting, to possibly see a _disgusted_ look.

"Sabine...-"

"Don't look at me." Viper uttered, her words almost spoken in a whisper.

It made Killjoy's heart ache.

When Viper heard no other vocal response from Killjoy, for a moment, she assumed the techie was indeed revolted by her. But, before the insecurity could completely take over her, she felt Killjoy slip under the blanket and pull her in, pressing her back against her torso.

Due to the height difference between them, Viper was mostly engulfed by Killjoy's arms. She didn't feel so cold anymore, and she was thankful the burning inside of her seemed to have decreased to a dull ache. Killjoy perched her chin on her shoulder, pressing and nuzzling her cheeks against Viper's before she spoke.

"Don't pull away from me, please?" Killjoy asked as if she was the one who bore the ghastly scars.

"Aren't you repulsed at what you saw?" Viper asked in a murmur, idly staring at one of her hands, which Killjoy delicately held with her own. "Sickened at the sight of it?"

"Why would I be?"

"Why _wouldn't_ you be?"

Killjoy sighed. "Sabine, if this is your way of trying to get rid of me, you'd have to think of something else, because I am _not_ going anywhere."

Viper half-heartedly scoffed, but said nothing else.

"Your scars... They're nothing but more of you to love." Killjoy released Viper's hand and traced a finger across the woman's face, smiling when she felt her lover leave her tense state. "I don't care if you get cut on the face or anywhere else. I'll still love you no matter what."

Much to her surprise and delight, Viper spun around and finally faced her once again, arms reaching out until she was hugging her. Killjoy didn't stay shocked for too long. She smiled and reciprocated the embrace, planting a kiss on the scientist's temple.

"You're too good for me."

Killjoy felt her heart pound at that, and she was fairly certain Viper heard it, especially with how she pressed her ear against her chest. "I'm _perfect_ for you."

"...You are."

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

"Where's Reyna?"

Like Viper, Sage was also laying on a hospital bed in a different medical unit. Instead of having her two lovers with her though, it was only Jett there, who was currently snuggled against her side, drawing random lines on her stomach and sometimes sneaking a kiss somewhere at her neck or jaw.

"At the training area." Jett murmured, sighing as if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Sage raised an eyebrow at that. The difference between her and Viper was that the treatment she received was less severe than what the latter went through, so she had more energy and wasn't as drained as the other agent.

"I'm surprised you seem to be more depressed than me when it comes to her."

Jett quietly groaned, pushing herself up until she was seated. "I'm just worried about her. What's wrong about that?"

"Nothing." Sage said, smiling at how defensive Jett sounded.

"Alright, okay, I admit, I _might_ have a tiny, little thing for her, but that's just it, okay?"

Sage chuckled. "It's alright, Jett. I'm in a relationship with the two of you, aren't I? I don't see anything wrong with you developing feelings for Reyna as well."

Huffing, Jett averted her gaze while she murmured, "She's just been acting off ever since we got you back. I'm just a bit worried, that's it."

"I'm honestly glad you are. It's nice to know you two won't be at each other's throats whenever I'm not around."

"Do you think I should go check on her?" Jett asked before she perked up when she was struck with another idea. "You know what, I'll go get her."

"Jett...-"

"It'll be fast, I promise! Be right back."

Giving Sage a quick, little peck on the lips, Jett hopped off the bed and pretty much dashed out of the room. Sage smiled and decided to just relax on the bed, her fingers fiddling with the blanket draped over her legs as she waited.

The memory of Reyna losing all of her composure when they rescued her flashed across her mind, prompting her to sigh. She had a hunch on why Reyna was suddenly so taciturn. The woman always evaded conversations about her bloodlust. They usually showed when they're out on missions, but what she did to Sage's torturers was a first.

For both Sage and Jett, at least.

Though it could never change Sage's feelings for her.

Speaking of Reyna, the vixen was releasing her stress through every bullet she fired at the target at the far end of the shooting range. Despite each gunshot that echoed, she was still completely aware of the approaching agent behind her.

Jett was like a little mouse scampering towards her, her steps light and nearly soundless. Once she stopped behind her, Reyna had just finished emptying the magazine of the Vandal she had in her grasp. Placing the firearm on the table in front of her, Reyna turned to Jett, who straightened up once the woman had her eyes on her.

"What are you doing here?"

"This _is_ the training area, so...-"

"Who's keeping Sage company, then?"

"Well," Jett huffed and crossed her arms. "supposedly you and me...-"

"I'm not feeling well."

"Yeah, sure, and shooting at targets is totally an acceptable medical treatment."

_**Bam!** _

Jett stopped herself from jumping in surprise when Reyna abruptly slammed a palm over the steel table, leaning on it as she scrutinized the white-haired rogue. "What's the _real_ reason you're here? Clearly, it's not to train."

"Sage is looking for you, alright? She's worried, I'm worried, we're _both_ worried about you." Jett gave her a light nudge on the arm, a concerned look in her eyes. "I'm not Sage, but you can talk to me, too. And, I won't judge, promise."

Reyna quirked an eyebrow at her, but she seemed to be contemplating the offer. Eventually, she lightly scoffed, grabbing the Vandal again and walking towards where the shelf at the side, where she had taken the rifle from in the first place. Behind her, Jett closely trailed after.

"Are you acting like this because of, y'know, what you did earlier?"

Not at all parting with her silence, Reyna continued cleaning up the equipment she had been using, disregarding Jett's query. She mingled with other agents in mostly a daily basis, but whenever she's in _this_ sort of mood, she evaded company as if it was the plague.

"If it's about you did, you should know that it didn't bother Sage." Jett said, keeping herself on her toes since she knew Reyna could easily snap at her. Though she doubted the possibility of the other hurting her. She wasn't that type of person, that much she was certain. "We've all shot more than a handful of people. When Sage joined, she told me how she wasn't a fan of harming anyone out on the field, _but_ she knows that sometimes we have no choice."

"That wasn't the case earlier, was it?" Came Reyna's sharply uttered question, violet eyes literally flashing for a brief second as she looked towards Jett, who blinked back.

"What do you mean?"

"I had a choice. What I did was... _overkill_. And I loved it." Reyna stared at her hands. Even though the blood that once stained them were gone, she could still remember how it felt when she had massacred the woman's face and how bloody it became. "Of all things I've done, that was one of the moments I _thoroughly_ enjoyed, but I know I shouldn't. Especially not with you and Sage on the scene."

"What you did wasn't necessary, we know that, but... I'm pretty sure Sage knew that when she said yes to you." Jett tucked her hands behind her, a sincere look on her face when hers and Reyna's eyes reconnected. "She loves you, Delilah."

Once again, Reyna quirked her eyebrow at Jett, the cold and harsh look fading away. She crossed her arms and gave the rogue an auditing stare, which the latter reacted by reddening and hunching her shoulders for a second before coughing and explaining herself.

"Uhh, is that alright? Me calling you by your name or no...? Okay, sorry."

When a fairly long moment passed with Reyna just giving her a look of scrutiny, Jett was thinking she had surely pissed off the woman in front of her. She tried composing another apology, but how Reyna eventually reacted shushed her.

Scoffing, Reyna turned away and walked off, but not without beckoning for the other to follow with a finger. Jett hastily shuffled after her, walking alongside her as they made their way back to the medical bay.

"Is Sage the only one allowed to call you that?"

"Just don't call me that in front of anyone... _Joon-Hee_."

Jett jumped, head snapping and eyes widening at the now smirking vixen, whose eyes glowed as if it was emphasizing her little tease.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

Just a single day passed for Sage to regain more than enough energy to heal her injuries, which also meant she could finally be able to help Viper with her own abrasions. Of course while Sage prepared to leave her own medical unit, Viper was left to wait for the healer with Killjoy keeping her company once again.

The techie had spent the night with her, the two of them all cuddled up when one of the doctors came in to check on the raven-haired patient. Viper was easily roused out of her sleep, especially when she heard the doctor quietly calling one of the other personnel and telling them to ask their superiors what to do with the unexpected visitor.

A couple of moments later, Viper feigned slumber like she had done, hearing Brimstone's lightly scoff and talk to the doctor outside the room. She didn't have much interest on their discussion, but she still listened in as much as she could, especially when she heard Killjoy be mentioned.

It wasn't so surprising when the door slid open and Brimstone stepped in. Beside her though, Killjoy remained asleep, which saved them all a possible explosive argument.

“How you doing?” He asked in a hushed volume, standing by the bed.

“Living and breathing.”

“I'm sure you know you're not supposed to have any visitors.”

“I do, but clearly, that's not going to stop her.” Viper said, glancing at her slumbering bedmate.

Brimstone gave a quiet, almost mute laugh at the mentioned point, but after that, they were both silent for a whole moment. It wasn't uncomfortable, regardless of Viper sensing that the man at her bedside had something else to say.

“...I'm sorry.” Was Brimstone's out of the blue apology, his lips curled into a frown.

“For what?”

“I'm sorry for not allowing her to join the extraction team.”

Viper took her eyes away for a moment, her gaze trailing to the serene face of Killjoy, who seemed to snuggle closer to her in her sleep. She may or may not have nuzzled her head against the techie in return, but she wasn't a fan of letting others see her being soft with her significant other.

“You shouldn't be.” Viper replied after sometime, gazing at Killjoy's face as if it was the most fascinating sight she has ever beheld. “It was only right you kept her here.”

Brimstone stayed quiet from where he stood, but he was grateful for Viper's understanding. One angry agent was more than enough to handle.

“If she had come and something... unfortunate happened to her, I wouldn't have forgiven myself for putting her in that predicament.”

“You're Radiants. One way or another, one of you is going to get hurt out there. You both know that.”

“That doesn't stop me from protecting this stupid, little _schnecke_.”

Brimstone lightheartedly scoffed. “Only you could call one of the smartest people in the world stupid.”

“That's because I can, and she is.” Viper then returned her eyes back to Brimstone. “And if you don't mind, Brimstone, I'd like to take this time to rest.”

“Alright, then. Don't let me keep you.” Brimstone said, nodding. “Rest well, Viper.”

Upon the older agent's departure, it didn't take long for Viper to fall asleep again, but before such, her thoughts were filled with thoughts about the things the Kingdom would have done to Killjoy if she was indeed one of the people in the rescue team and she ended up getting captured again.

Tracing Killjoy's jaw with a trembling finger, Viper leaned in and planted a featherlight kiss on her lover's nose. Being surrounded by the techie's warmth and scent, finding her way back to her slumber was swift.

Her eyes were falling close, taking her back to her dreamland, but of course she didn't let it happen without making sure the blanket was also draped over Killjoy.

.....

.....

.....

.....

When Killjoy left to take a quick shower and get them breakfast the following morning, Viper didn't need to wait too long. If she was in her usual moods, she probably would have teased the techie at least once about how she was so eager on tending to her, but she didn't want the other to notice that she actually enjoyed the affectionate gestures.

"Cold?"

Viper, who was eating from the bowl of soup on the overbed table, looked over to the agent situated at the foot of the bed. Killjoy was munching on a sandwich, legs dangling on the edge and swaying idly.

"I'm fine."

Just as she gave her reply, Viper abruptly shuddered, mainly because of the sudden chill that ran up her spine. The timing was coincidental and it felt as if destiny was pushing Killjoy to further fret over her.

"You're a bad liar, y'know that?" Killjoy placed her sandwich on the table, hopping off the bed and dusting her hands before shrugging her jacket off.

Viper sighed and had her face set in its usual scowl as her lover draped the jacket over her shoulders, the scent of the techie engulfing her, while the comforting embrace of the coat immediately catered to her unsaid need for warmth.

"And here's the cherry on top."

The green beanie was then worn over her head, which prompted her to give Killjoy a snappy look.

"You look adorable in my clothes, Sabine." Killjoy said, smiling widely.

Regardless of Viper's lack of vocal reply, Killjoy was still pleased with the sight of her wearing two of her most favorite clothes. She returned to her place at the foot of the bed and stayed there until Sage finally arrived, unsurprisingly accompanied by Reyna and Jett.

"You look really... cool, Viper." Jett commented, hiding her teasing smile as she eyed the beanie on the woman's head.

"The room suddenly became too cramped for my liking." Viper muttered as she had Sage examine her back.

"Oh come on, it's just three more people." Killjoy mentioned, glancing at the duo at the side.

"I think three is more than just a crowd for her." Reyna said, while Jett finally smiled widely at her. "We'll be outside, _mi alma_." _(mi alma - my soul)_

Sage nodded and waved at the two before they stepped out of the room, leaving her with the other pair. "I suppose you've taken more than a light beating."

Viper scoffed. "They didn't touch a single strand of my hair if that's what you're saying."

"Still, these are much, much worse than my injuries." Sage said as the orb she had in hand replaced the crystal coat on Viper's spine. "Nothing I can't heal, that much I can assure you."

"Will it leave scars?" Killjoy asked, sounding hopeful rather than nervous.

"Do you want it to?" Sage asked with a light jesting tone, smiling as she weaved her fingers in the air, the green crystal on Viper's back responding to each movement.

"She's fond of them." Viper stated flatly, unamused. "Not only does she have a questionable fixation on my hands, but also my scars as well."

"It's not a fetish!" Came Killjoy's defensive statement, her cheeks burning bright red.

Sage softly tittered. "Could've fooled me."

"Sage!"

"To answer your question, no, it won't leave scars since the healing I'm doing right now is more thorough than the usual that I give when we're out on the field." Sage then offered a slightly apologetic smile. "My apologies."

Instead of being reacting positively, Killjoy crossed her arms and huffed, shooting Viper a look when she saw the scientist suppressing a smirk from showing. She then muttered, "I hate you two so much right now."

Once the process was done, Viper felt completely rejuvenated. Sage's healing seemed to have vanquished the rest of the lingering pain in her veins, which allowed her to relax and feel more comfortable with herself.

After Sage took her leave, Viper was quick to move the overbed table away from the bedside and step off the bed, which made the techie rush to her side in a heartbeat.

"Hey, hey, you literally just got healed! You shouldn't move around so soon."

" _Schnecke_ , I'm fine." Viper said, shooting her a look when she tried pushing her back on the bed. "What's the use of Sage's healing if you won't let me take advantage of it?"

"But...-"

Viper pulled her arm away, walking towards the folded clothes at the side. Killjoy went after her, but before she could make another attempt in putting her girlfriend back on the bed, her eyes widened and her face flushed red.

"Sabine!"

Flustered, Killjoy averted her gaze and lamely covered her eyes with a hand as Viper took her jacket off and untied her robe, letting it fall on the floor and leaving her in nothing but the plain white underwear the medical personnel had provided her with.

Despite seeing Viper naked dozens of times, the lights in the room gave her a more high definition of the woman's body. The effect her lover had on her never faded, which Viper silently took pleasure in, while Killjoy always became a red-faced mess.

"You never cease to amuse me." Viper said as she slipped on the loose military pants after putting on the white sports bra that came with the outfit. Soon, she was also wearing a plain but matching army green shirt, which was surprisingly covered by the yellow jacket she shrugged back on.

Killjoy flinched when Viper caught her looking when she spun back around after she slipped the combat boots on, hands tucking her shirt in her pants. She offered a sheepish expression, receiving nothing but a roll of her lover's eyes.

"Come. I need to give myself a blood test to see if any more of those ghastly chemicals are still in my system."

"What? You're going to work in your lab already?" Killjoy snatched her abandoned beanie from the bed and chased after Viper, who was naturally quick in leaving the room. "Sabine, you need to take at least a couple more hours to rest. Leave the whole science work for tomorrow. I'll even help you!"

The two of them halted at the entrance of the medical bay with Viper stopping and turning to face Killjoy. The techie looked like she wanted to just hoist Viper into her arms and carry her to their quarters to try and force her to o rest, but the those piercing emeralds that looked at her stopped her from doing so.

"I overheard Brimstone saying something about you being less angry at him if he allowed you to stay overnight."

"What? When did you hear that?"

"Earlier morning." It was true though. Before Brimstone stepped into the room, she heard him mention to the doctor to not bother Killjoy and that it was one of the little things he could allow for the techie not to be to furious with him.

Viper crossed her arms, but due to Killjoy's jacket, which looked puffier on her than the owner herself, she looked rather adorable than intimidating. Regardless, her words were assertive as ever.

"What happened?"

Killjoy made a face, directing her gaze away. "I wanted to be part of the rescue team and he didn't let me go, that's it."

Viper raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"So what if it is?"

"You're acting like a brat."

"Hey! I just wanted to save my girlfriend, alright?"

"That doesn't give you enough reason to question his orders." Viper said in a lecturing tone, which Killjoy only huffed at in reply. "And who told you I'm your so-called _'girlfriend'_?"

Killjoy's attitude diminished completely. She almost deflated entirely upon hearing Viper's query. "W-Wait, you're not my girlfriend?"

The clear panic that was written on Killjoy's face sparked more than a pinch of amusement. There was also hints of heartbreak, which Viper tried not to pay much attention to. For someone who loved to joke around, Killjoy sure took a lot of things she says so seriously.

"As far as I know, you haven't asked me to be yours." Viper said, adding, "Nor have you ever _attempted_ to take me on a date."

"What? I thought you don't like going out on dates!"

"I said, _attempt_. It's not like I would've said yes."

"Then what's the point of asking!?" Killjoy asked back with an incredulous look. "And what would you have done if I _did_ ask?"

Viper leaned in and once again, despite Killjoy's height advantage over her, the tech genius was still the one that seemed to shrink between them. In a husky whisper, Viper said, "I would have taken you to _my_ version of a date."

"S-Sabine...!?"

"But of course that'll only be part of your options once you've made amends with Brimstone."

"Seriously!?" Killjoy followed after Viper as she strode away, the techie looking like a lost puppy. "Wait a sec...!"

"Not another word, _maus_."

"But...-"

"And you'll only get your jacket back once he forgives you."

"Sabine!"

Clearly, Killjoy had a lot of things to do before she could experience Viper's version of a date.

**xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yayyyy!!! Though I'm not too happy on how I finished this, I still like the scenes I typed between the pairings, especially the part where Viper was afraid of what Killjoy thought about her back. I hope you readers liked this mini-series. :3
> 
> Amorra710 mentioned something about Reyna and Jett having some chemistry together since they're both with Sage in this mini-series, so I figured I could throw in the aforementioned scenes for them. Kudos to him/her/them for the suggestion! ^u^
> 
> I did some more research and apparently, SkinSpotlights said that “Delilah” is Reyna's name based from a voiceline from Sage. I also read that Raze apparently has a voiceline where she refers to Jett as “Joon-Hee/Jun-Hee”, which now explains why I had those names mentioned in the story. I'll, of course, change it if ever Riot says otherwise. :)
> 
> As for Sage's real name, I read in Valorant Wiki that it's “Mirai”, but unlike Reyna and Jett, this particular name for Sage had no clear source where it came from and it pretty much appeared out of nowhere, so I was more hesitant in using that in the story. ^^"
> 
> Additionally, if anyone's interested on commissioning a story from me, let it be League, VALORANT or a different franchise, hit me up either here on Wattpad or Twitter! ^o^/
> 
> Anyway, that's that! Tune in for some more VALORANT stuff~ UwU/

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Well... This one was unexpected. I just started this story out, thinking what the heck, let's try writing about VALORANT, so here it is! It's my first time writing about VALORANT, and with the limited lore it's currently offering, it's super hard. ><
> 
> I would love to know what you readers think about this piece though! Feedback and suggestions for any other possible VALORANT fics in the future is much appreciated! ^u^
> 
> This piece is dedicated to @xSNOW_WEISSx from Twitter! Their art is amazing, go check it out when you can! :D
> 
> In addition, I was really inspired by @MalevolentLXIX (also from Twitter) and their VALORANT fan arts! Check them out, too!
> 
> Anyway, I'm not exactly sure when I'll release another VALORANT fic. Maybe when I get inspired again, I will. 
> 
> Till next time, my peeps!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Type of Romance (Traduzido - Português)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384083) by [chxoswolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chxoswolf/pseuds/chxoswolf)




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